Creamy Yellow Squash & Basil Soup

This recipe, originally published in my book, “Cultivating Joy in the Kitchen,” got reinvented.  I had planned to make this for a group I was cooking for.  Overnight the weather dropped 20 degrees, and it was a cold and rainy day.  I love this light and flavor-packed soup on those

warm and sunny days, but it needed something a little more substantial and grounding.  White sweet potatoes to the rescue.  I used a pale-skinned and white fleshed Japanese sweet potato but other white fleshed varieties would also work well.  The sweet potato added a little more body and extra creaminess without added fat. White sweet potatoes are rich in Vitamin A content and good source of slowly digestible carbohydrates, which is good for helping to regulate blood sugar. They are also a good source of Vitamin C.  Hope you enjoy this remake.  If you can’t find yellow squash, feel free to substitute for zucchini.  The color and flavor will be a little different, but equally delicious.

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Creamy Yellow Squash & Basil Soup

Course Soups & Stews

Cuisine Dairy Free, Gluten Free

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 cup Onion peeled and diced
• 3 Stalks Celery diced
• 2 medium White sweet potato peeled, small dice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 15 ounce, can Coconut milk from BPA free can
• 1-1/4 pounds yellow squash trimmed, washed and diced
• 4 cups Vegetable stock
• 1/3 cup basil leaves, fresh
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a 5-6 quart saucepan , heat coconut oil over medium/low heat.
2. Saute onions and celery for 3-5 minutes until softened. Add white sweet potato, cumin , coconut milk and vegetable stock, bring to a boil. Turn heat down to a steady simmer, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes until sweet potatoes start to soften.
3. Add yellow squash and simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until the squash is just tender, do not overcook.
4. Puree soup in blender or with an immersion style blender until desired consistency. I prefer it silky smooth. Add fresh basil right before serving and blend for to combine, Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
5. Serve soup warm as is or with additional thinly sliced fresh basil on top. Add in a teaspoon of turmeric for a richer golden color if desired.