Ah yes, the cold is finally upon us! Running outside is easy and a tasty hot soup is a delight for the senses. This warm, comforting winter soup will make you think it's summer with it's bright, tangy flavor! Using the some of best of what winter has to offer -- butternut squash and apples stored from the fall harvest -- combined with delicious southwestern spices, this sweet and sour soup has a vibrant flavor that will wake you up out of the winter doldrums while still giving you that hot, comforting bowl of soup you've been craving.

Prep time: 15 minutes Total time: 70 minutes Yields: 6-8 servings Southwestern Spiced Butternut Squash and Apple Soup Ingredients

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp raw cane sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon • 1/2 tsp salt • 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar • 1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce • 3 tbsp olive oil • 2 cups diced onion • 1.5 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced • 1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored and diced • 2 tsp grated lime zest • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice • toasted pecans for garnish Cooking directions 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place the butternut squash on a baking sheet. Cook for about 10 minutes. This will make it much easier to cut open, peel and dice the squash. 2. In a bowl, combine the dry spices and set aside. In another bowl, combine the apple cider vinegar and soy sauce and set aside. 3. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and stir. Cover and cook until the onions soften and begin to brown, stirring occasionally. Add the butternut squash, stir, cover and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the butternut squash is softened and lightly browned. 4. Add the spice mixture to the pot and stir well to coat the squash and onions. Add the vinegar and soy sauce mix and stir. Add the diced apple and 4 cups of water, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let the soup simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the soup to cool for about 10 minutes. 5. Puree the soup, either in batches in a blender, or in the soup pot with a wand blender. Stir in the lime zest and lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. 6. Serve hot with a sprinkle of chopped toasted pecans as garnish. Enjoy!at blandit mi. Donec et neque ac mauris facilisis efficitur. In ac lorem dolor. Nullam sit amet purus urna. Phasellus pulvinar turpis a lorem luctus, eget tristique risus rutrum. Mauris tristique nisl a orci lacinia tincidunt. Sed id dictum odio, et vestibulum urna. Vivamus a finibus dolor. Nunc auctor iaculis magna vel eleifend. Vivamus posuere massa et urna feugiat, ut faucibus eros aliquam. Aenean ut iaculis sapien. Phasellus in orci dignissim, vestibulum turpis sit amet, interdum augue. Integer in tempus massa.