Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Butternut Soup

Autumn Butternut Soup 2

Nothin' beats warm soup and homemade bread on a cold, blustery day. We're talking comfort food, baby!

I'm finding out that soup is pretty souper super -- it's healthy, low-point eating, and better yet -- great for a tight budget. So, we're trying to incorporate soups into our menu planning a little more these days.

Here's a little autumn soup we tried not too long ago. Loved the flavor of the roasted butternut! Perfect for the season. Give it a try and tell me what you think...

 

Butternut Soup

2 points per serving

1 medium butternut squash (about 3 lbs.), peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes

2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 large onion, chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped

2 Tablespoons minced fresh sage, or 2 teaspoons rubbed sage

3 cans (14.5 oz. each) reduced-sodium chicken broth

cooking spray

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Place squash in a 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan lightly coated with cooking spray. Drizzle  with 1 Tablespoon oil; sprinkle with pepper. Toss around to coat. Bake uncovered, at 425° F for 30-35 minutes or until tender, stirring it every 15 minutes.

In a Dutch oven pan, saute the onion, the celery and the sage in the remaining oil until tender. Stir in broth and reserved squash. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Cool slightly.

In a blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth. Return to the pan; heat through if needed. Serves 8.

:::

This recipe comes with Parmesan croutons to go with it. We chose not to make the croutons when we served it, but here's the recipe in case you do! Adding the croutons makes the soup a 3 point dish.

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Parmesan Croutons
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2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon minced fresh sage or 1 teaspoon rubbed sage

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups French bread (1/2 inch cubes)

additional grated Parmesan cheese, optional

cooking spray

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In a small bowl, combine the cheese, oil, sage and garlic. Add bread cubes and spritz with cooking spray; toss to coat. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° F for 5-8 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Serve with soup and sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

 

recipe credit: Healthy Cooking magazine, October/November 2009, p.40

4 comments:

Elena said...

You know....I've never had a pumpkin/squash soup before. Is it sweet or savory? You're a strong woman to not make those croutons, they sound delish!

Wendy said...

We were out of time that night. That's the only thing that saved me from the croutons! LOL

The soup is not sweet, but has a wonderful roasted squash-sage flavor. I *really* liked it and plan on making it again!

...with Lion House rolls....

(evil chuckle)

Deanna said...

Mmmmmmm! Those rolls sound 10 times yummier than the croutons, but either would be nice!

I wish my kids liked 'real food'. :) I've got to get them off of their cheese sandwich and mac and cheese kick.

Wendy said...

Deanna, I never said my Sweet Girl had any of this soup. ;-)