Roast the Butternut Squash

• Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place your butternut squash on a cutting board and carefully cut off the bottom and the top of the squash. Begin by pressing your knife into the skin about 1/2" and work your way around the end of the squash. When you get back to your starting point, push your knife deeper into the squash and cut off the end.
• Then, place your squash upright and carefully slice it in half down the middle. Keep both hands on top of the knife and gently rock it back and forth as you press it down through the squash. Scoop out the seeds with a large spoon.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up. Lay the squash in the pan, cut side up, and brush or spray with a bit of olive oil. Then sprinkle with a dash of salt and pepper. Flip them over so they are cut side down on the sheet. Bake at 400°F for 1 hour. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool.
• Scrape out the soft roasted butternut squash, set it aside in a bowl, and discard the skins. This step is best done a few hours before making the soup or even a day or two in advance. Store the squash in an air-tight container in the fridge until needed.

Make the Soup

• Peel the red potato, core the apple, cut the ends off the yellow zucchini, and then chop the potato, apple, yellow zucchini, and 1/2 an onion into roughly 1/2" pieces. Chop or crush 4 cloves of garlic.
• If using vegetable bouillon, add the appropriate amount to 2 cups of warm water. Stir until combined. Add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and pepper to your vegetable stock and stir.

Cooking Methods:

In a Cast Iron Dutch Oven:

• In a large cast iron Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and diced onions. Sauté them until they become translucent and fragrant, which should take about 3-4 minutes. Add the apple, red potato, and yellow zucchini to the Dutch oven. Pour in the vegetable stock mix. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low-medium, cover the Dutch oven, and simmer for about 10-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.

In a Slow Cooker:

• Place all the prepared ingredients in the slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours until the potatoes are fork-tender.
• Once the vegetables are tender, use an immersion blender or transfer the mixture to a regular blender in batches to puree the soup until it’s smooth and creamy.

In a Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot):

• Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode and melt the butter. Add the minced garlic and diced onions. Sauté for about 2-3 minutes until the onions are translucent.
• Add the chopped vegetables and vegetable stock mix to the Instant Pot and stir well to combine. Close the Instant Pot, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Once the cooking is complete, do a quick release by carefully turning the valve to venting.

Blend the Soup:

• Blend the Soup:

Immersion Blender:

• Add the soft roasted butternut squash to the cooked vegetables in your pot and blend with an immersion blender until it's smooth and creamy.

Upright Blender:

• This method will produce the smoothest texture. Carefully transfer the cooked vegetables and stock from the pot to the blender. You can use a smaller measuring cup to scoop and transfer the contents. Set the blender to speed to low and blend the soup until it's smooth and creamy. Do not overfill your blender. You can blend it in two batches if needed. Leave a gap in the lid so the hot steam can escape while blending.
• Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• Pour the soup into the serving bowls. Pour a spoonful of coconut milk (canned) into the soup and then swirl it with your spoon. Sprinkle a light dusting of paprika and then add a small handful of toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve and enjoy!