If you’re also trying to eat seasonally then butternut is an excellent choice during the autumn. This tasty soup also includes our favourites – ginger, chilli, and curry, that have a lot of anti-inflammatory health benefits.

Butternut – rich in minerals and antioxidants

Butternut contains a lot of potassium, which is important for the proper function of the nerves and muscles. It’s also important for regulating blood pressure. In the vast majority of cases, we get potassium from our diet, so it’s not a micro-element that we usually need to take in supplements. Butternut is also rich in the antioxidant beta-carotene, which protects the body against cell damage. The fact is that beta-carotene is not just an antioxidant but also a form of vitamin A which is important for the eyesight, skin, and membranes, among others. Beta-carotene is the most common type of carotenoid, which can be transformed into vitamin A in the body when necessary. It’s also extra-important for pregnant women to make sure they get enough vitamin A, otherwise it can harm the baby. However, we should be careful with supplements as we can easily get to overly high levels.

Recipe: Anti-inflammatory butternut soup

Ingredients

1 butternut squash app. 1kg

2 yellow onions

3 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger

2 tablespoons of yellow curry

2 teaspoons of turmeric

1 fresh red chilli

1 tablespoon of lime juice

200 ml of coconut milk

2 vegetable stock cubes

500 ml of water

Salt and pepper

Topping:

Lightly-roasted pumpkin seeds

Coconut flakes

Pomegranate seeds

How to

Peel the squash, take out the seeds, and cut it into cubes. Keep the seeds and roast them on a low heat in the oven while you prepare the soup. Start by frying the onion and garlic in a little MCT oil or coconut oil on a medium to low heat.

Add some grated ginger, chopped chilli and the butternut cubes and let it fry on a low heat for a few minutes. Pour on the coconut milk, water, lime and the vegetable stock cubes. Spice it with the curry, turmeric, salt and pepper. Let it boil for 10-15 minutes until the butternut is soft. Then blend the soup until it has a smooth texture. Top it with the roasted seeds, coconut flakes and pomegranate, and just enjoy!