When she’s not helping her patients Michele Schultz, PT, DPT, Cert. DN can also be found in the kitchen!  Michele is sharing some of her soup recipes that she has been making through the holiday season that are great to throw together on a weekend and have for lunch throughout the week!

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon avocado oil

• 2 medium butternut squash

• 3 medium leeks, cleaned and diced

• 1 jalapeño, seeds removed, minced • 2 carrots, diced

• 1 medium shallot, chopped

• 2 medium honey crisp apples, cored and diced

• 3 cloves garlic

• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1 quart chicken stock

• 1/3 cup coconut cream

• 1/2 teaspoon champagne vinegar or apple cider vinegar

• Pink Himalayan salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

• Chopped pecans, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet with avocado oil.

2. Slice the butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Lay the halves face-down on the prepared baking sheet and bake until tender, 35 minutes. Scoop the cooked squash out of the shells and set it aside in a bowl.

3. Heat the avocado oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, jalapeño, carrots, shallot, and apples. Sauté for 15 minutes until tender. Add the paprika, thyme, sage, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Raise the heat to high and sauté for an additional 5 minutes. Then add the cooked butternut squash, chicken stock, coconut cream, honey, and vinegar; stir. Bring the soup to a simmer and let it cook for 20 minutes, stirring often.

4. Working in batches, transfer the soup to a high-powered blender/food processor and blend on high speed until smooth. Note: Only fill the blender about half way to avoid it spilling and burning your hands. 5. To serve, ladle the hot soup in a serving bowl. Garnish with pepper, chives, and pecans.

Enjoy!