I’m at my 160 acre ranch near Vernon, BC, Canada, working on a new book and the sunshine on the snowy landscape is just so inspiring that I came over after chores to make this nutritious yet fresh Winter Sun Soup!
I will give you instructions for two versions; Depending on whether you like a little chew with your soup or whether you like a smooth puree. And I’ll also give you some suggestions if you want to add some extra protein to these delicious vegetables and gut-soothing broth.
But before we begin, I want to share with you a few of my current favorite hacks:
1. I make a ton of gravy every time I make a fried chicken dinner. Then I freeze the rest in a ziplock bag and can easily cut it into pieces (see photo below) to flavor soups like this or stir-fries.
2. I did the same thing with pesto. I buy a fresh basil pesto from my organic grocer and then freeze it in a ziplock bag after a few days of use (before it spoils). Then I can easily cut off pieces to mix with my homemade mayonnaise – and voila – a wonderful pesto mayonnaise for chicken strips, scrambled eggs, sandwiches, etc.
You’re welcome! Now let’s get to our soup…
Winter Sunshine Soup
1 small butternut squash
1 small – medium sized head of cauliflower
4 stalks of celery
1 yellow onion
1/4 tsp garlic powder
4 tablespoons chicken gravy (if you don’t have any, use chicken broth with a little water to dissolve and add additional dried herbs such as thyme, basil, cilantro and paprika)
5-6 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth works too)
3 tbsp fresh sage leaves
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 heaped tsp cardamom powder
Juice of 1/4 lemon (or to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Preheat oven (or toaster) to 350F
2. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out (discard) the seeds. Place the pumpkin, cut side down, on a baking sheet. Then place the cauliflower on the tray and drizzle the cauliflower with olive oil. Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes.
3. While the squash and cauliflower are baking, dice 1 onion and 4 stalks of celery. Fry together in a large pot with healthy fat of your choice (I used olive oil + ghee). Coconut oil, butter or pastured lard also work well.
4. After the onion has softened, add 4 tablespoons chicken gravy (or bouillon) and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and cook until the onions begin to brown. Then add 3 tablespoons of fresh sage leaves.
5. Add chicken broth to the pot and stir well.
6. Now your squash and cauliflower are cooked. Peel the pumpkin (mine can be easily peeled with a knife by removing the peel while it is still hot) and chop it together with the cauliflower. Add both to your soup pot.
7. Simmer all ingredients together for 10 minutes.
CHUNKY? If you like your soup in chunks to chew, add cinnamon, cardamom and lemon juice and you’re done! Of course, you can also add diced meat (chicken, lamb or venison) or chopped roasted cashews or almonds for extra protein.
SMOOTH? If you want to puree the soup, let it simmer for another 10 minutes. Add the contents to your Vitamix or puree in the pot using a hand blender. Add cinnamon, cardamom and lemon juice – you can also add 1/4 cup toasted cashews or almonds if you want some protein and blend until smooth. If the soup is too thick for your taste, simply add more broth or water to thin it out.
8. Season with salt and pepper.
Enjoy it plain or with crackers, toast tips, croutons or chopped roasted cashews. This is also a great soup to pair with a sandwich or an open-faced melte soup. I think you will find the flavor (with fresh sage, cinnamon and cardamom) unique but super delicious 🙂
Jini Patel Thompson is an internationally recognized expert in natural healing for digestive diseases. She healed herself from widespread Crohn’s disease and has been medication and surgery free for over 25 years. Jini has appeared on numerous podcasts, TV and radio shows in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, giving people hope and vision on how to heal their colitis, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) using all-natural methods. Her books on natural healing of digestive diseases have been sold in over 80 countries worldwide. Jini is married and has three children, nine sheep, 11 horses, a cat and three dogs.
