Comforting Cold Season Soup

Well folks, it’s official. Cold and flu season has begun and I am apparently one of its first victims. And we all know that when you’re sick there is nothing like a good pot of soup to make you feel better.  Soups and stews are some of my favorite things to make when the weather starts to cool down—they are relatively easy, usually full of flavor, and reheat well (which as you know is one of the most important criteria when it comes to leftovers that I will actually eat). I had the foresight to make a batch of one of our favorite soups—Curry Carrot and Squash—on Sunday night for dinner, which meant that I had a nice bowl of comforting soup at my fingertips when I came home feeling like death-warmed-over last night. This soup will warm you up—in sickness and in health!

Curry Carrot and Squash Soup
Adapted slightly from Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients:
3 TBL olive oil
1 white or yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3-4 carrots, sliced into rounds
4 large yellow squash, sliced into rounds
1 TBL curry powder (more or less depending on your taste)
A dash of ground ginger
Salt and Pepper
48 ounces of low sodium chicken stock
¼ cup milk

1.Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onions and garlic and stir to coat. Add carrots and cook until starting to soften—about 5 minutes.
2.Add squash and  salt and pepper. Cook until squash is tender, about 5-7 minutes.
3.Add curry powder, stir to coat.
4.Add chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for an hour.
5.Turn off the heat. Use an immersion blender to puree soup (you could also use a regular blender, pureeing soup in batches). Stir in milk. Serve.