Hearty Butternut Squash Soup

I love butternut squash soup, the creamy, buttery, nutty kind. However, I also enjoy soup with a little bite to it. Give me a veggie crunch just about any day. This hearty butternut squash soup gives you all the flavors of the season with some extra oomph from the vegetables. Feel free to swap any vegetables with what you have growing in your garden or what you find at your local markets. Or, simply prepare this soup as is.I think this would be a great way to kick-off Halloween trick-or-treating in a few weeks too. Serve alongside a rustic baguette, and a spinach, apple, walnut salad with blue cheese crumbles and balsamic vinaigrette. YUM.

Hearty Butternut Squash SoupServes 8

You will need:

- 1 cup cubed butternut squash- 1 cup rough chopped yellow onion- 1 cup cubed carrots- 1 cup cubed celery- 1 cup cubed parsnips- 1/2 cup cubed baby red potatoes- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley- 2 cups kale, shredded- 1/4 cup olive oil- 1 15 oz can of white beans- 1 quart organic vegetable stock- salt and pepperTo prepare:Peel and cube squash, onion, carrots, celery, parsnips, and red potato into 1 inch cubes.Put the vegetables in a heavy cast iron pot, except the kale and white beansSaute all the vegetables in the olive oil until they are soft and the onion is translucent (about 15 minutes).  Then add the kale, beans and stock, and stir until blended. Season mixture with salt and pepper.Simmer on low heat for 1 and 1/2 hours and serve.