Well, well, well winter is upon us again. I’ll admit I’m a big, whiney freeze-baby but I do love the excuse the cold gives me to make lots of soup. Here’s a favorite I’ve already made three times this year with the veggies, ginger and garlic sourced from my fave local farms PurpleBrown and Trapp Family Farm. If you’re in Northeast Ohio head to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and check out the new farm store in Peninsula. It’s what every grocery store should be stocked only with local products. Then, get out your soup pot and cook up this delicious immune-boosting, inflammation fighter. Cheers!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp olive or coconut oil
• 2 medium yellow or white onions
• 3 large cloves fresh garlic, diced
• 1 Tbsp diced fresh ginger
• 1 Tbsp diced fresh turmeric
• 1/2-1 Tbsp diced jalapeno (add more or omit for desired spice level)
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 2-3 cups cubed raw butternut squash
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp red curry paste (I like Thai kitchen brand)
• 1 can coconut milk
• salt, pepper and additional spices to taste (I like to add some cayenne for even more heat)

Instructions:

1. In a stock pot, warm oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add in garlic, ginger, turmeric and jalapeño. Continue cooking for another 3 minutes or so stirring gently here and there.
2. Add in carrots and squash. Saute for another 8-1o minutes stirring frequently. Add a little more oil if needed.
3. Add vegetable broth then cover and simmer 10-15 min. until veggies are soft. Add curry paste once broth is simmering and stir in completely.
4. Add coconut milk and blend with immersion blender until smooth. You can also pour into a blender to do this. 
5. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and/or pepitas. Enjoy!