Butternut Squash Soup with Garam Masala

Spike vegan butternut squash soup with sweet maple syrup and spicy, organic Garam Masala and ginger for a dish that’s simple to make, yet memorable to serve.
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Hands-on Time: 20 minutes
Makes: 8 servings
Ingredients:
2 1/2 - pounds butternut or other winter squash, peeled, seeded and diced
2 - carrots, peeled and diced
1 - onion, peeled and diced
1/2 - pound red potatoes, washed
1 - stalk celery, sliced
5 - cloves garlic, peeled
1 - Whole Bay Leaf
2 - teaspoons Garam Masala
1 - teaspoon Ground Ginger Root
1/2 - cup real maple syrup
1 - pinch Sea Salt
Black Pepper, to taste
Directions:
In a large pot, add vegetables, garlic, bay leaf, garam masala and ginger. Add enough water just to cover, and simmer until very tender.
Remove bay leaf and carefully transfer contents of pot to a food processor. Puree until smooth and pass through a fine-mesh strainer.
Return soup to pot, bring to simmer, and add the maple syrup.
Season to taste with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Serve immediately, or cool and store up to three days. Freezes well.