Is there anything more satisfying than a hearty bowl of soup when the weather gets chilly?
The smell of a savory soup simmering on the stovetop brings a cozy comfort and warmth to the day.
Homemade soups are healthier than canned versions which often contain astronomical amounts of sodium as well as other preservatives. When you make soup at home you have the benefit of knowing what’s in it and using real, whole foods to make it as healthy as possible.
One of my favorite soups for fall and winter is butternut squash soup. It has a rich, creamy, bisque-like texture and is wonderful with a salad for lunch or as a side to a roast or tenderloin for dinner.
Butternut squash soup is packed with vitamin A and has a good amount of potassium, vitamin C and fiber, too. Even though a 1 cup serving contains only 184 calories, it’s still really satisfying because of the decadent creaminess and rich flavor. With only 21 grams of carbohydrates, it’s a good choice if you’re watching your carbs and it’s also much lower in sodium than most canned soups.
Butternut Squash Soup
Equipment
- 8 or 10 Quart Stock Pot
- Soup Wand, Blender or Food Processor
Ingredients
- 3 TBS butter
- 1 C chopped onion
- 5 C butternut squash peeled and cubed (about 24 ounces)
- 3 C yellow potatoes peeled and cubed (about 16 ounces)
- 2 C chicken broth
- 1 C vegetable stock
- 2 C water
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/2 C heavy cream
Garnish
- dollop of sour cream
- sprinkle of paprika
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large stockpot, then add chopped onions and sauté until browned.
- Add squash, potatoes chicken broth, vegetable stock and water.
- Stir in ginger, basil, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour.
- After simmering, the squash and potatoes should be tender and easy to pierce with a fork. Use a soup wand, blender or food processor to puree the mixture. (If using a blender or food processor, ladle the mixture in batches to puree and then transfer the blended soup back into the stockpot).
- Stir in heavy cream.
- Serve warm and add a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle of paprika for garnish if desired.
If you like your soups on the spicy side, you can add a bit more crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to kick the heat up a notch.
Do you have a favorite fall or winter soup recipe? If so, I’d love to hear what it is in the comments below!
