Butternut-Apple Soup

We've all heard that old saying that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away", but eating an apple by itself is just so blah. Apples by themselves just don't do it for me. But recently I came across a recipe for butternut-apple soup and I thought, apples in soup?! Well that's just crazy! But what an interesting twist on a fall classic. I LOVE butternut squash soup (and anything with butternut squash really) but have never tried to make it myself before. So I thought what better way to start than with this extra-special apple version? I couldn't wait to see (or taste, rather) how the apples would affect it, now after having tried it I think that all butternut squash soup should include apples!

Adapted from this recipe, my soup consists of...
- butternut squash
- granny smith apples
- light cream (you could also try a non-dairy cream substitute if you are so inclined)
- water
- curry powder
- chipotle powder
- ginger
- salt
- pepper
- cinnamon
- chives

How to make it:
1. Cut up your butternut squash and apples into small chunks.
2. In a big pot, bring about 2 1/2 cups butternut squash, 1 3/4 cups apple chunks and about 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Then turn heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Put squash and apple mixture into a blender and puree.
4. Add in 1/2 tablespoon of curry, a pinch of chipotle, 1 teaspoon of ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and 3/4 cup of cream and blend together.
5. Finish it off with a sprinkle of cinnamon and some chives.

A variation:
Instead of chives, try topping off your soup with a sprinkle of goat cheese!

1 tablespoon of mild sweet curry powder
¼ teaspoon of ground chipotle powder (optional)
2-3 teaspoons pureed organic ginger in a jar (or fresh finely zested with a microplane)
Pinch of ground clove
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1½ cups (350 ML) unsweetened almond and cashew MimicCreme  (see their website for stores or buy online at this link)
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives (optional garnish) - See more at: http://afoodcentriclife.com/healthy-butternut-apple-soup/#sthash.H97GHnbJ.dpuf

Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

So you've got some leftover broccoli, cheddar and potatoes, but you don't want to make more broccoli salad twice baked potatoes because you just had those! What do you do?! Well, you could try making some broccoli and cheddar soup!

This is another recipe that I found on Pinterest. The only revision I made to it was reducing the amount of cheese, because as much as I do LOVE cheese, I still found that it called for a somewhat excessive amount (if you would like to see the original recipe, go here). This nice, hearty soup makes a great side for any lunch or dinner! It consists of...
- broccoli
- a medium-sized potato, peeled and chopped
- chicken broth
- milk
- salt
- shredded cheddar cheese

How to make it:
1. In a large pot, bring 1 3/4 cups of chicken broth, potato chunks, and a dash of salt to a boil.
2. Finely chop up your broccoli, add half of it to the pot and set the rest aside for later. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until potato is soft.
3. Transfer pot contents to a blender, puree, and return to pot.
4. Add the remaining broccoli, 1 cup of milk and 1 and a half cups of shredded cheddar to the pot. Continuously stir and cook on medium for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted in. For the final touch, garnish with a small piece of broccoli.

Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup

A big thank you to my dear friend Ellie for sharing this recipe- as I happen to despise tomatoes and thus always omit them from my recipes, this is a very welcome addition indeed (especially after my last not super healthy recipe...)! Nothing warms up a cold winter day quite like a piping hot bowl of soup, and you can even enjoy it for up to a week if stored in the fridge, or even longer if your freeze it!

Ellie's soup contains...
- 2 cans of whole tomatoes
- a white onion
- 8 garlic cloves
- 3 cups of vegetable stock
- olive oil
- black pepper
- salt
- thyme
- basil
- milk (Ellie used 2%)

How to make it:
1. Strain the cans of whole tomatoes over a bowl (you will want to keep the juice) and cut the tomatoes in half.
2. Crush the garlic cloves and slice your onion.
3. Put tomatoes, garlic and onion on a baking sheet with a little bit of olive oil and roast for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
4. Combine all ingredients except for basil and milk in a pot, bring to a boil and let simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Puree everything and add milk.
6. Season to taste and garnish with slices of fresh basil.

Suggestions to make this even healthier: If you're trying to cut dairy from your diet, try substituting milk with pureed potato to give your soup a creamy texture!

And if you're really into presentation, try drizzling some olive oil on top for a fancier look!