Butternut Squash and Beet Soup

We blended together two of fall’s favorite ingredients for a perfect dinner party soup.

 Sweet, earthy beets brighten up a traditional butternut soup while working as a tonic for the liver and a purifier for the blood. Use this recipe for the perfect dinner soup during the program or as a way to impress company with a clean meal.

For Clean Program

serves: 2

prep time: 20 minutes

cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Beets:

4 medium sized beets

2 tablespoons olive oil

sea salt, to taste

4-6 ounces chicken stock

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary

For the Butternut Squash Soup:

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 leek, top removed, white section cut into ¼ inch rounds

2-2.5 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch chunks (about 6 cups)

2 cups chicken stock

4-8 ounces full fat coconut milk

3-4 sage leaves

sea salt, to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F

Place the beets in a pyrex container and coat with oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Add ½ cup of water then cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the beets are tender enough to pierce with a knife. Remove from the oven when they are cool enough to handle them and remove the skin. Place in a blender with enough chicken stock or water to blend to a creamy, pourable consistency. Add the vinegar, rosemary and season with sea salt to taste. Return to a pan on the stove top to keep warm.

Prepare the butternut squash soup. Chop the squash and leeks then heat the coconut oil in a large pot. Add the leeks and cook until soft. Stir in the squash, cook for a minute or two then add the chicken stock.

Cover, cook for 12-15 minutes then remove from the heat, transfer to a blender and puree using the coconut milk to thin out to a creamy, but pourable consistency. Add the sage leaves and a pinch or two of sea salt. Blend again to incorporate.

To serve, fill each bowl with the butternut soup then pour in a small stream of beet soup in a circular motion. Garnish with extra rosemary and serve.

Recipe by Frank Giglio

http://blog.cleanprogram.com/butternut-squash-and-beet-soup/