SOUPS ON!

Today I'm making Butternut Squash Soup. It's easy, in season and great for your immune system because it is full of beta-carotene and alpha-carotene. Your body converts it into Vitamin A. Vitamin A is a strong source in building good immunity during this flu and cold season.  

Here are your ingredients:

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 peeled and diced white onion

Clove of garlic, minced (I buy mine already minced)

3 cups vegetable broth

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped

2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced (you can purchase already diced at your grocery store to save time)

pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

salt and pepper to taste

Roasted pumpkin seeds to garnish if you like

Stovetop Recipe:

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute' for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally,  Add the garlic and saute' for 2 more minutes until its fragrant.

Add the vegetable broth, carrot, apple, butternut squash, cinnamon and ginger to combine.  Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer for 20-30 minutes until all of the vegetables are tender enough to mash with a fork.

Stir in the coconut milk.

Use an immersion blender (can be hand held) to puree' the soup until smooth.  

Taste and season the soup generously with salt and pepper as you like.  

Top with roasted and salted pumpkin seeds if desired.

Serve it warm and enjoy. 

Warm baked sourdough rolls compliment this soup beautifully.

Enjoy your weekend!

Butternut Squash Soup in the Slow Cooker

Photo and Recipe by Taste of Home

This is an easy recipe that will make 14 servings (great for the next day too!) in your slow cooker.

Takes 30 minutes prep time.  Gives your family a hearty dinner with little prep time when you are busy preparing for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

Ingredients:  1 chopped medium onion, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 medium butternut squash (about 4 pounds), peeled and cubed, 3 (14 1/2 ounce) cans vegetable broth, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 cinnamon stick, and 1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened and cubed.

In a small skillet, saute onion in butter until tender.  Transfer to a 5-6 quart slow cooker and add squash.  Combine the broth, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and cinnamon and pour over squash.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the squash is tender.  

Cool slightly.  Discard the cinnamon stick.  In a blender, process the sop in batches until smooth to remove lumps.  Return all to slow cooker and whisk in the cream cheese.  Cover and cook 15 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.  

   

Thanks for stopping by Soup Tuesday.

Butternut Squash SOUP-ER Easy

Startcooking.com

What makes this easy recipe super special are the cinnamon croutons you top the soup off with.  Turn store bought soup into awesome.  Here's how!

Before you heat your store bought butternut squash soup, add small canned of pumpkin puree, as well as fresh ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.  Flavor according to your liking.  Stir and heat.  Top the soup with croutons of cubed well toasted cinnamon raisin toast.  Another quick crouton idea is to top with 4 slices of bread, crust off and cubes, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar (1 teaspoon each), top with 1 tablespoon melted butter, pour over bread cubes and bake in nonstick baking sheet for 6-9 minutes until toasted.  Sprinkle on soup.  DELICIOUS!!

Serve with your favorite salad or sandwich and enjoy.  

Healthy Soup Tuesday - Sausage, Kale and Butternut Squash

I found this recipe last week and made it for my family with rave reviews all around!  The most time consuming task is the slicing and dicing.  This could be easily done the day before to save time and refrigerated until you are ready to make your soup.  This soup is low in calories and sodium and high in fiber...It's a Win Win!  This is going in my regular meal rotation!  I served it with fresh baked corn bread (used a mix) but drizzled honey it top of it for the last minute or two of baking.  

Soup ingredients:  1-2 packages Italian turkey sausage - uncooked, 2 grated garlic cloves, 8 cups chicken broth, 3 cups butternut squash (peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes).  Buy precooked cubed butternut squash at your grocery store to save time, 4 cups chopped Kale (organic of possible), salt and pepper to taste, 2 14 ounce cans cannelini or red kidney beans, Parmigiano cheese grated, Ditali dried pasta or any small tubular dried pasta

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat sprayed with olive oil cooking spray.  Remove sausage from casings and add to pot.  Toss casings.  Brown for 7-8 minutes using a fork to break piece apart.  Add garlic and cook 4-5 minutes.  When sausage is browned, add broth to pan using a wooden spoon to scrape up all of the brown sausage bits from the bottom of the pan. Raise heat to high and bring soup to a boil.  Add butternut squash cubes and cook for 20-25 minutes or until soft.  10 minutes before serving, add dried pasta,  beans and Kale. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Make sure pasta is finished before serving.  

Ladle into individual bowls and serve with grated Parmigiano cheese on top.  Delicious!!

Cut the warm cornbread into squares and serve with butter and honey.  Enjoy and Happy Tuesday