Lately, Sundays have been all about soup for dinner.  By dinner on Sunday, I don’t really want to think about creating some fabulous or fancy meal.  I just want delicious food in my belly and I want it now. 

Soup is one of the simplest and most forgiving meals out there.  Sure, there are fancy and complex soups, but for the most part, you can throw things in a pot and simmer them for an hour or so and still get a filling and healthy meal.

It’s the simple things in life that make me happy.  Like warm soup belly on a chilly Fall night.

This soup was made even easier with canned pumpkin AND canned butternut squash which I found at Trader Joes.  Sadly, I haven’t seen canned butternut squash at my TJ’s since I made this, but I know you can find it in other stores.  And if you can’t you can simply make your own butternut puree or just throw some chunks of butternut into the soup and let them cook until soft.  Everything gets blended in the end so it doesn’t really matter.  Oh and definitely make the roasted pumpkin seed topper because it almost steals the show!

Join me for Souper Sundays (totally just made that day up… but it probably already existed) and tell me your favorite soups!

Simple Butternut & Pumpkin Soup- serves 6 

Calories: 187 Total Fat: 12.91 g Carbs: 17.41 g Fiber: 3.2 g Protein: 2.32 g  

• 1 can (15 oz) butternut squash**
• 1 can (15 oz)  pumpkin
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 1-2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup onions, diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 1-2 tsp dried sage
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

**You could also use homemade butternut squash puree or 2 cups fresh butternut.**

For the Roasted Pumpkin Seed Topper: 

Calories: 79 Total Fat: 7.37 g Carbs: 1.37 g Fiber: .7 g Protein: 3.06 g

• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1. Heat a little olive oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes.  Then, add the garlic and ginger and saute for another minute.
2. Sprinkle 1 tsp of sage over the onions, garlic, and ginger and stir to coat.  Add the butternut squash and pumpkin and stir to combine.  Add the coconut milk and stir once more.  Slowly add the broth until the soup reaches the consistency you want.  If you want a thicker soup, use just one cup.  For a thinner soup, use the whole 1.5 to 2 cups.
3. Add the nutmeg, salt, pepper, and another teaspoon of sage and stir to combine.  Bring the soup to a low boil and then lower to a simmer.  Cover and cook for 10 to 20 minutes.
4. While the soup is simmering, preheat the oven to 325 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.  Add the pumpkin seeds to a large bowl and add the coconut oil to a small bowl.  Stir the seasonings into the coconut oil and let it sit for a minute or two.  Pour the oil over the seeds, stir to coat, and then put them in an even layer on the baking sheet.  Roast for 10 to 15 minutes checking often to make sure they don’t burn.
5. Once the seeds are done, remove the lid from the soup and stir.  Using either an immersion blender or regular blender puree the soup until smooth.  Taste and adjust the seasonings.  Serve with a sprinkle of roasted seeds on top.