Words by: Angela Bae

I grew up in a household that loves good food and eating…particularly because my mom is a host and works magic in the kitchen. Before I knew it, hosting quickly became my love language too, mostly out of my love for eating, but also because I love nothing more than cooking in the kitchen and gathering friends around the table.

I view it as a spiritual practice of celebration—an opportunity for me to choose joy in the midst of hardship, to slow down the busy weeks for moments of pause, and to give thanks to the giver of all—not just for the meals or the friends and the laughter, but truly for who God is.

A group of friends and I do a monthly girls dinner—I host it in my cozy little home, we sit in the same seats around the same dining room table I grew up with, and our dinners are always indulgent—artisanal cheeses, Napa wines, homemade breads and ice cream from scratch! But a few months ago, we went through the Whole30 challenge together and since then we have taken our clean eating to another level by having all of our dinners be completely paleo.

This butternut squash soup is a go-to recipe of mine that is completely vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free. Super simple to make, nourishing, and boasts all of the flavors of fall in a bowl!

WholeHealthHabits Butternut Squash Fall Soup

• 3 cups butternut squash cubed
• 1 sweet potato cubed
• 2 cups carrots diced
• 1 onion diced
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 large apples diced
• 3 tbl coconut oil, olive oil, or ghee
• 1–2 cartons of broth (veggie or chicken—your choice)
• 3 sage leaves
• 1 tbl dried parsley flakes
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, melt oil of choice and sautee onions and garlic on medium heat until caramelized. Add all veggies and sautee to brown for about 10 mins. Add seasoning and pour broth to cover all of your vegetables and boil on medium-high heat for about 20 minutes or until all of your vegetables are cooked through. Using your immersion blender, blend to desired thickness—I like my soups pureed smooth! And for added luciousness, I serve my soups with a little drizzle of high-quality extra virgin olive oil.

ANGELA BAE

A Seattle native, Angela works in Higher Education at Fuller Theological Seminary. In her spare time, Angela lives an active life traveling frequently, taking exercise classes, and shares her passion for healthy cooking on Instagram @WholeHealthHabits.

About Table Traditions:

This October, join me and my friends in the kitchen as they share some of their favorite recipes and foodie traditions. Table Traditions stems from a belief in making a routine meal an occasion to celebrate life and good food. I hope that these stories and recipes will spark some of your own mealtime traditions.

Click here to see all the Table Traditions posts.