So I searched around for recipes, found one I liked, and headed out to the store. My ingredients were all pretty cheap (luckily I had the spices on hand) and this soup made enough to last me all week! I was able to fill 5 tupperware containers, each with about 2 cups of soup in them - which for me, is great for lunch. The soup itself was also very easy to make, although my "mise en place" of all my veggies took some time - and left me with a blister on my finger (thank you butternut squash!). The soup came out delicious AND, it weighs in at only 159 calories per 1-1/4 cup serving. Not bad at all!
After I made this, I saw a post (I wish I remembered to save it), where someone served soup out of pumpkin bowls. I immediately loved the idea and thought this soup would be perfect for that! Just pick up the amount of small baking pumpkins (or acorn squash), cut the tops open for the bowl. Scoop out the seeds and all the fibers and sprinkle with a bit of sugar and salt. On a baking sheet, roast them for about 25-30 minutes at 400 degrees (longer for larger pumpkins). Viola! Not only will you have a great soup in a cool bowl, but no dishes to be washed when you're done! Also, for a larger group, you can use a larger pumpkin, pour in all the soup, put a ladle in and let your guests serve themselves. A great idea for Thanksgiving :)
Ok, now time for the recipe. I got this recipe from a Taste of Home Cookbook my mom bought me last year (it's my go-to cookbook and I would recommend it for all, buy it here). I actually changed a few small things, so below is the version I actually used.
Ingredients
1 c. Onion - chopped
2 Celery ribs (stalks) - chopped
2 tbsp. Butter
2 cans (14.5 oz each) + 2 tbsp. Reduced sodium Chicken Broth
1 tsp. Sugar
1 Bay leaf
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Ground turmeric
1/4 tsp. Ground cinnamon
1 Butternut squash (approx. 3 lbs) - peeled, seeded & cubed (this is how I got my blister)
3 Potatoes (medium sized) - peeled & cubed
1 1/2 c. 1% Milk
Instructions
1. Coat a large saucepan with cooking spray and cook the onion, celery and butter until the onions and the celery are tender.
2. Stir in the 2 cans of broth, sugar, bay leaf, salt, nutmeg, turmeric and cinnamon.
3. After about 1-2 minutes, add the squash and potatoes and bring to a boil.
4. Once it has come to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for approx. 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
5. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Discard the bay leaf.
6. In a blender, puree the mixture in batches. (I held my pureed mixture in a bowl while I pureed in batches.) Return all of pureed vegetables to the saucepan.
7. Stir in the 2 tbsp. of broth and the milk. Heat through, but do NOT bring it to a boil.
This recipe yields approx. 10 cups of soup, and thanks to Taste of Home, there is nutritional information for each 1 1/4 cup serving:
Nutritional Analysis: 1-1/4 cups equals 159 calories, 4 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 10 mg cholesterol, 487 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 5 g protein.
Enjoy! Here's a picture of my finished soup (not plated though since it went straight into tupperware):
