Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
• 4 cups peeled butternut squash (from a 2-pound squash), cut in 1-inch cubes 1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried sage (or 1 tablespoon minced fresh)
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or stock
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons reduced fat sour cream or plain yogurt, optional

Directions

1. In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the squash, onion, celery, carrots and apple. Sauté until the vegetables are golden and starting to soften, about 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Add the chili powder, sage and a pinch of salt and cook for 30 seconds longer.
3. Add the broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the squash is very soft, about 40 minutes.
4. At this point, you can serve the soup as is--chunky soup. If you have a blender, work in batches by adding a few cups of the soup to the blender at a time and mix until smooth. (Be careful as the soup is hot!) If you don’t have a blender, use a potato masher to mash the vegetables.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in sour cream or yogurt, if desired.

Variations & Tips

• In place of the chili powder and sage, use a combination of cinnamon, allspice and/or nutmeg for a sweeter soup.
• Feel free to use chicken broth in place of the vegetable broth if you don’t need to make the soup vegetarian.
• You could substitute butternut squash with pumpkin (canned or fresh).
• The soup can be frozen (don’t add the sour cream or yogurt until you reheat it.)
• This soup also tastes great as a chunky soup if you choose not to blend it.
• If you have leftover squash, toss it with olive oil in a large bowl; season with salt and black pepper. Arrange coated squash on a baking sheet. Roast in a 425° oven until squash is tender and lightly browned, approximately 25 to 30 minutes.

Total Cost: $7.72

Cost per Serving: $0.96

Nutritional Info (per serving): 100 Calories; 3.7 g Fat (0.5 g Saturated Fat); 16.5 g Carbohydrates; 3.1 g Fiber; 1.5 g Protein; Sodium 91 mg Yield: 8 servings

Source: Adapted from SkinnyTaste.com

Watch the butternut squash soup cooking demo below and download the recipe to make it yourself.