Butternut Squash Soup with Spicy Seared Arugula and Toasted Almonds

This is a nice balance of sweet, spicy, bitter, and crunch. Enjoy!

For the soup:
1 Large butternut squash, skinned, de-seeded, and cubed into about 1" cubes
2 shallots cut in about 1/2" chunks (the ones I use are about the size of a golf ball)
2-4 cloves garlic
               - Leave them whole, but smash them to maximize phytonutrients (Robinson, 2014)
               - Use only 2 if the cloves are on the thicker/bigger side
2 T Olive oil
2 T Butter
1/2 t dried sage or one fresh sage leaf (leave whole then remove after cooking)
OPTIONAL: 2 T natural maple syrup;
OPTIONAL: 1/2t sea salt

6-8 oz. chicken stock (use vegetable stock if vegetarian)

Soup Instructions: 
1. Combine all ingredients EXCEPT BROTH in a 9x12 cast iron or heavier gauge baking pan, cover with tin foil, and cook for 1 hour at 350 degrees or until the vegetables are fork-tender.
2. Allow ingredients to cool slightly then puree, slowly adding the broth until smooth, in a food processor.
--HINT: during the minute or 2 of cooling off time, start heating up your saute pan for searing the arugula 
3. Put soup in a medium sized saucepan (about 2-3 quart) and simmer while preparing the other components of the dish.

Spicy Seared Arugula:
2T olive oil or enough to fully cover bottom of skillet
1/4-1 t. red pepper flakes (these can be hot)
1 minced garlic clove
3 cups then another 2 cups baby arugula

Arugula Instructions: 
1. In a medium (about 10") caste iron skillet that is preheated to medium/high heat, add the oil.
2. As soon as it swirls around, it's hot enough to add the pepper flakes and let them saute for about a minute.
3. Add the garlic, stir, then quickly add 3 cups of the arugula, turning it as it wilts with tongs. Once the first 3 cups have room, add the other 2 cups and turn the greens to wilt but not fully.

For the toasted almonds:
1 cup coarsely chopped roasted, salted almonds (I just buy them this way so the soup is not so complicated to put together)

Plate your food: Fill your soup bowl with the soup first. Add about 1/4 of the arugula mixture to the middle. Sprinkle with about a quarter of your shopped almonds.

Yield: Serves 4
Prep time about 15 minutes to prep soup vegetables for oven. About 15 minutes to prep other parts after soup comes out of the oven.

(c) Marya Doerfel