Butternut Squash Vegetable Soup

When it is cold outside there is nothing as comforting as a hot bowl of vegetable soup. Around here we just love soups of all kinds. I try to make soup on the weekends to carry us through a few chilly nights during the week. This hearty soup is full of seasonal goodness from kale and squash and packed with protein from chickpeas to make it a complete dinner. Try it alone or with a nice gluten-free/dairy-free grilled cheese sandwich.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 35 – 45 minutes

Servings: 8 as a main course

Ingredients

4 tablespoons OLIVE OIL
2 large ONIONS, diced
6 CARROTS, diced
6 PARSNIPS, diced
4 stalks CELERY, diced (optional)
4 cloves GARLIC, minced
4 cups (1 whole) peeled BUTTERNUT SQUASH, in 1/2" cubes
4 cups KALE, coursely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground ALLSPICE
1/4 teaspoon Kosher SALT (more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon CAYENNE PEPPER (more or less to taste)
4 sprigs fresh THYME
8 cups low-salt VEGETABLE BROTH
1 15-ounce can no-salt DICED TOMATOES
1 15-ounce can CHICKPEAS

Directions

PEEL and CUT the butternut squash into 1/2″ cubes (follow Simplyrecipes’ direction on how to peel and cut the butternut squash safely)
DICE onion, carrots, parsnips
MINCE garlic
WASH the kale and REMOVE it from the stem by laying the leaf upside down on a cutting board and cutting a V shape along both sides of the rib thereby cutting it free from the leaf. CHOP the kale coarsely.
HEAT olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat
ADD onions and cook for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften and turn translucent. STIR occasionally
ADD the garlic and cook for 1 more minute
ADD the butternut squash, carrots, parsnips, (celery if you want), allspice, salt, and cayenne pepper and stir until they begin to brown (about 10 minutes)
ADD the sprigs of thyme, broth, and tomatoes
Bring to a BOIL then reduce heat and SIMMER for 10 minutes (or until vegetables are tender)
ADD chickpeas and kale
SIMMER for another 10 minutes, until kale has wilted
REMOVE the sprigs of thyme before serving
STORE for 5 days in the refrigerator and 3 months in the freezer