I ate my first kabocha squash this winter and fell in love with the mild yet cozy flavor. Prior to this I’ve always stuck with butternut or delicata squash because they look less intimidating. But, you know me. I’m all about going out of my comfort zone and trying new ingredients in my kitchen so here we are with a kabocha squash soup that’s creamy, comforting and has a fabulous kick to it from the combination of cinnamon, curry powder and cayenne pepper I tossed in.

Soup feels like such a winter food yet as we near the end of March, the weather in Manhattan already feels like April in the 60’s with lots of sunshine, so I’m finding myself really wanting soup. And not just any soup- pureed creamy soup because it’s so easy to digest and it leaves me feeling so darn good.

Before you jump into this recipe, I highly suggest making sure your spices are fresh, meaning they’re not expired because the cinnamon, curry and cayenne literally make this soup. Check your expiration dates because there’s nothing worse than making a recipe with expired spices that yield really flat and tasteless recipes. I don’t want you experiencing this because it’s not fun. It’s easy to just toss spices into the back of our cabinet and forget about them for years but trust me, when you taste fresh spices in a recipe, you won’t need to add sugar or other inflammatory ingredients often used in soups to amp up the flavor.

Bon appetit.

And, before you go … I recently made this Peppered Kabocha Squash Soup over on my new website, AmieValpone.com if you’re looking for yet another kabocha squash soup recipe!

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Curried Squash Soup

Making a creamy squash soup is quite easy because roasted squash yields a tender, flavorful and thick consistency, which here only needs unsweetened almond milk and spices to make it a meal.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword soup, butternut squash

Prep Time 0 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4 people

Calories 101kcal

Author Amie

Ingredients

• 1 large kabocha squash
• olive oil for rubbing squash
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 2 1/2 cups filtered water
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon plus more to taste
• 2 tsp. fresh herbs such as oregano for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Rub the squash with the olive oil to cover the entire surface and use a fork to poke holes in the skin. Place the squash on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 1 hour or until the squash is tender when you press on it with your hands.
• Remove from the oven and use a sharp knife to slice the squash in half. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes then use a spoon to discard the seeds.
• Scoop the squash flesh into a high speed blender along with the almond milk, water and spices. Puree until very creamy. Season to taste as needed. Garnish with oregano and serve warm.
• Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 657mg | Potassium: 815mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3218IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 230mg | Iron: 2mg

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I’ve really been loving pureed soups lately – they are so soothing on my digestion and as these Manhattan days get a bit cooler, I find myself craving something warm and cozy in a bowl. The days of eating salads are long behind me as this weather makes me want to roast sweet and tender root vegetables and turn them into a delicious meal that I can serve throughout the week for lunch and dinner.

This golden beet and carrot soup is quite easy to make as it only takes five minutes to prepare. The bulk of the preparation is spent in the oven when these vegetables are roasting so you can easily go about your regular evening routine while this meal prepares itself.

Once the vegetables are warm and tender, all you need to do is toss them into a blender with water (I always suggest filtered water and not tap water because of the fluoride and other chemicals/residues in tap water) and a few sweet spices and whirl it all together for a delicious meal.

You can garnish this soup with microgreens, sesame seeds, slivered almonds or any fresh herb you choose such as fresh sage, thyme and rosemary.

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Golden Beet and Carrot Soup

This is an easy soup for a quick weeknight meal that can be tossed together in less than five minutes and roasted to perfection while you do whatever is needed around your home. The assembly is quite simple and only requires a high-speed blender to ensure a velvety soup that's soothing and ideal for the cooler weather.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword soup

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 41 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 139kcal

Author Amie

Ingredients

• 6 large carrots trimmed
• 5 medium golden beets
• extra-virgin olive oil
• sea salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cups water plus more if needed
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the carrots and beets on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with a generous amount of sea salt and pepper. Transfer the baking sheet into the oven and roast for 40 minutes or until very tender.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
• Peel the beets with your fingers and discard the skins. Use a knife to remove the ends of the carrots and beets; discard. Slice the beets in quarters and the carrots into 1-inch pieces.
• Transfer the sliced carrots and beets to a high-speed blender with the water and cumin, cardamom and cinnamon. Depending on the size of the carrots and beets, you may need to add more water slowly until you reach your desired consistency. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Serve warm.
• Store leftovers in a sealed glass container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator and up to 1 month in the freezer.

Nutrition

Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 247mg | Potassium: 1047mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 18117IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2mg

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There is something so creamy about roasted zucchini, especially when you puree it in a blender to make a rich soup that is so soothing and cozy to eat. As many of you know, I fell in love with pureed soups in my early 20’s (many many moons ago) when I had to eat out of a food processor and blender for a year because of digestive issues. While it wasn’t the most exciting year of my life, it inspired recipes for my first cookbook, Eating Clean, and it offered me a deep appreciation for the silky smooth consistency of pureed soups.

There is something so inviting and warm about sitting down for a bowl of soup- especially when it’s pureed because it just simply goes down so smooth. Zucchini is the star ingredient to use when you’re looking to add creaminess to any recipe because it gets so incredibly tender and sweet after it’s cooked.

Here, I’m roasting the zucchini to perfection and tossing it into a high-speed blender (I prefer the Vitamix below because it has been the most consistent blender I use and it always creates the perfect blended consistency hands down) and I’m tossing in some natural sweetness from ground ginger and coriander for an extra pop of flavor.

This soup can be served anytime of the year and my one suggestion is to purchase large tender zucchini because, in my experience, the larger zucchini tend to have so much more flavor than the smaller ones, which tend to taste bitter.

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Roasted Zucchini Soup

This easy zucchini soup is ideal to make when zucchini are showing up at your local farmers market because they're filled with sweet flavor. Feel free to use any dairy-free unsweetened milk of your choice such as hazelnut milk or oat milk.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword zucchini, soup

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 84kcal

Author Amie

Ingredients

• 2 large zucchini diced (4 cups diced)
• drizzle extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper to taste
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Lay the zucchini on the prepared baking sheets in a single layer. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan as that will make them steam and not roast. Drizzle with olive oil and add a pinch of sea salt and pepper.
• Roast for 25 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
• Transfer the roasted zucchini to a high-speed blender with the remaining ingredients and puree until smooth. Serve warm or at room temperature and garnish with crushed red pepper flakes.
• Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 84kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 669mg | Potassium: 931mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 719IU | Vitamin C: 65mg | Calcium: 220mg | Iron: 2mg

This article may contain Amazon or other affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase by clicking those links.

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WHY WE LOVE IT

We recently started adding ripe avocado to our soup recipes because “Why Not?”, right? We got this idea from testing a lot of sauces and dips and spreads in Amie’s first cookbook, Eating Clean, and the feedback was stellar to say the least so we decided to play a little bit more in the kitchen to create more creaminess for you without gluten, dairy, soy or sugar. Yes, it can be done and it is quite delicious. Today we’re going to show you how easy it can be. All you need is a sturdy cutting board (like the one below), a sharp knife (the one we like using is shown below) and a big food processor (see our favorite one that we’ve been using for years down below).

HOW WE MAKE IT

PREP TIPS // We love to prep recipes in advance because let’s face it, we’re all busy and gone are the days when we have hours to put together a 2-hour meal every night of the week, which is why we enjoy sharing prep tips with you to help you get the most out of our recipes while saving you time and money.

AVOCADO PREP TIP // For this creamy asparagus soup recipe, we suggest using a very ripe avocado because that is where all of your creaminess is going to come from. We can’t stress this enough. If your avocado isn’t ripe enough, leave it in a brown paper bag overnight on your countertop. Because this soup uses avocado, we don’t recommend prepping this recipe in advance. We all know what an avocado looks like when it’s been sitting out for too long: it gets brown. We do suggest making it right before you’re going to eat because it is SO simple and will take less than 20 minutes to make from start to finish.

FOOD SHOPPING TIP // When you’re food shopping, try to buy organic ingredients. Here are The Benefits of Eating Organic.

INGREDIENT SWAPS // You could swap another green vegetable such as leeks or broccoli for the asparagus. However, these ingredients would take longer to roast in the oven so be mindful that they would need more time roasting if you decide to use a different vegetable. Also, note that asparagus is naturally sweet so it will not taste the same if you use another ingredient.

Feel free to use any other fresh herb you’d like for garnishing. We love fresh parsley and fresh tarragon for this recipe, as well.

THREE EASY STEPS

Here’s how we made this Easy Asparagus Soup in three simple steps.

STEP 1 // Roast the asparagus in the oven with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper.

STEP 2 // Combine the roasted asparagus with the remaining ingredients in a large food processor and puree until smooth.

STEP 3 // Transfer to serving bowls and serve.

LISTEN

Listen below for Amie’s tips that are not mentioned in this article as well as quick directions on how to make this recipe step-by-step.

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HOW WE EAT IT

SERVING SUGGESTIONS // We love serving this soup in small bowls as an appetizer when we’re entertaining but you can also serve it as a main meal alongside one of our heartier recipes.

This soup pairs well with our Lunch and Dinner recipes. Looking for a specific recipe to serve this soup with tonight? Try our Healthy Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes recipe. 

OPTIONAL ANIMAL PROTEIN // Because all of our bodies are very different, some of you have requested recipe alternatives that have animal protein options. If you’re a carnivore, you can cook a breast of organic chicken and serve it thinly sliced on the side or dice it into small cubes and serve it on top of the soup. Whether you like it roasted, poached, sautéed or baked, we have step-by-step directions for our favorite ways to cook organic chicken: How to Cook Chicken.

STILL HUNGRY? For more of our anti-inflammatory recipes, check out our 30 Day Reset Program, which is only available for a limited time through April.

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Easy Asparagus Avocado Soup

This creamy green soup is a dream. You'll love how simple but flavorful it is, and it's anti-inflammatory like all of our recipes!

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword soup

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 261kcal

Author Amie Valpone

Ingredients

• 10 thin asparagus, ends trimmed
• 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 large ripe avocado
• 1 scallion, green only
• 5 fresh basil leaves plus more for garnish
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tsp. pure maple syrup
• ½ tsp. ground cumin
• ¼ tsp. curry powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds, optional garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Toss the asparagus on the prepared baking sheet with the olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Roast asparagus for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven; set aside to cool for 5 minutes, then cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces.
• Puree asparagus, avocado, scallion, fresh basil, unsweetened almond milk, pure maple syrup, ground cumin, and curry powder in a food processor until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
• Transfer to serving bowls and serve warm, garnish with finely chopped fresh basil and sesame seeds.

Nutrition

Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 413mg | Potassium: 671mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 865IU | Vitamin C: 15.7mg | Calcium: 198mg | Iron: 3.3mg

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

If you make this recipe, rate it below + post a picture of it on social media + tag @TheHealthyApple. We love connecting with all of you on facebook // pinterest // instagram // twitter or book a private session with Amie.

Recipe by Amie Valpone of The Healthy Apple. Please do not reprint this recipe without our permission. If you’d like to feature this recipe on your website, please rewrite the directions and link to this recipe as the original source. Thank you.

My upcoming Whole Body Transformation Retreat in Santa Cruz, California in August a great place for you to start to dive into understanding these deeper layers of healing and to understand for yourself first-hand that healing is a journey. This retreat is my lowest price point yet, which is a great opportunity for anyone looking to meet me in person and understand the missing pieces keeping you unwell. This retreat is based on the groundbreaking new method I created and called The Valpone Method, which I developed to help you understand and discover the emotional, energetic and physical aspects of healing. And that’s exactly what I’m here to help you with because somewhere deep inside you know that there is more than just eating clean to really bring yourself back to life. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix or magic pill for health issues. 

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WHY WE LOVE IT

We were inspired to make this soup because it’s chilly in Manhattan and we were craving something warm and cozy and soothing on our belly’s. Since cauliflower is Amie’s favorite vegetable and one of our detox vegetables that support your liver, we’re all about making this soup once a week until spring. This soup is easy to make and takes very little time to whip up, which makes it ideal for a weeknight meal served with roasted vegetables and a protein of your choice as a side dish.

HOW WE MAKE IT

PREP TIPS // When you’re food shopping, try to buy organic ingredients. Here are the benefits of eating organic. We suggest cutting your cauliflower into small florets before roasting so that the pieces roast evenly and come out of the oven super tender and soft. You can add any fresh herb to garnish this meal. We chose basil because it’s naturally sweet and delicious but you can choose whatever your heart desires (fresh parsley or tarragon are equally as delicious).

INGREDIENT SWAPS // We know you’ve been on the lookout for a roasted cauliflower soup without cream, which is why this recipe was made without dairy on purpose. That said, we don’t suggest adding dairy to this soup for creaminess; it’s not needed! When you roast the cauliflower just enough until it’s golden brown, it will be pureed easily into a creamy consistency so dairy is not needed. Furthermore, we don’t suggest swapping broccoli for cauliflower here- the taste is not as good. Cauliflower, when pureed, has a really nice taste to it because it’s almost sweet, unlike broccoli! You can easily add your favorite spices instead of the spices we used if desired depending on the season you’re making this soup.

Here’s how we made this Creamy Cauliflower Soup in three simple steps:

STEP 1 // Roast the cauliflower and smashed garlic in the oven for 40 minutes. Sauté the white onion when there are 10 more minutes left with the cauliflower.

STEP 2 // Remove the roasted cauliflower from the oven and add it to the sautéed onion with vegetable broth and the optional spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.

STEP 3 // Transfer mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth. Serve warm with fresh basil garnished on top.

LISTEN // Listen below for Amie’s tips that are not mentioned in this article as well as quick directions on how to make this recipe step-by-step.

SHOP the RECIPE

HOW WE EAT IT

SERVING SUGGESTIONS // This easy gluten-free soup is ideal on a chilly winter night like tonight! You can garnish the soup with nuts or seeds if desired. Sliced almonds and fresh tarragon pair nicely or you can keep the fresh basil we recommended and add sunflower seeds if you’d like to add a small dose of protein. You can serve leftovers as the base of your next meal. All you’d need to do is use a large serving plate and pour some of the soup onto the base of the plate and top it with wild salmon or organic animal protein or black beans and roasted vegetables. This is a great way to make your meals creative and turn a soup into a sauce!

OPTIONAL ANIMAL PROTEIN // Because all of our bodies are very different, some of you have requested recipe alternatives that have animal protein options. If you’re a carnivore, you can dice or slice a breast of organic chicken and serve it in this healthy cauliflower soup before serving or on the side. Whether you like it roasted, poached, sauteed or baked, we have step-by-step directions for our favorite ways to cook organic chicken: How to Cook Chicken.

STILL HUNGRY? For more of our anti-inflammatory recipes, check out our 30 Day Reset Program, which is only available for a limited time through April.

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Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup

This easy pureed soup recipe is creamy and comforting without any dairy or inflammatory ingredients. All you need is a handful of ingredients and a hungry belly!

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword cauliflower soup

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 130kcal

Author Amie Valpone

Ingredients

• 2 large cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into 1 inch florets
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt, divided
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin (optional)
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh basil

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Toss the smashed garlic and cauliflower florets with 1 Tbsp. oil, 1/4 tsp. sea salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes or until cauliflower is golden brown and tender.
  
• When the cauliflower is almost done, saute the onion with the remaining 1/2 Tbsp. oil for about 7-9 minutes or until the onion is tender and translucent, stirring often. Add the roasted cauliflower, garlic, vegetable broth, and optional spices (cumin and/or crushed red pepper flakes) and cover. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth. 
  
• Season to taste with sea salt and pepper and transfer to serving bowls. Garnish with the fresh basil and serve warm.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1361mg | Potassium: 668mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 693IU | Vitamin C: 104mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg

If you make this recipe, rate it below + post a picture of it on social media + tag @AmieValpone. We love connecting with all of you on facebook // pinterest // instagram // twitter or book a private session with Amie.

Recipe by Amie Valpone. Please do not reprint this recipe without our permission. If you’d like to feature this recipe on your website, please rewrite the directions and link to this recipe as the original source. Thank you.

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