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I think I'll be making this tonight:
Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Parmesan
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped white or yellow onion
2 tsps olive oil
1 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth*
1 butternut squash (about 1 and 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded and chopped into 1-inch cubes**
2 T finely grated parmesan cheese
In a large stockpot over medium heat, sautee the onion in the olive oil until nearly translucent, about 4 minutes. Add seasonings, broth and squash and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes, until squash is tender. Puree half the soup in a blender; return to pot. (My family actually prefers the entire soup being pureed. The texture is super smooth). Stir in parmesan cheese and serve.
This is great with hunks of french bread and a tossed green salad. If you want to be a bit wicked, try swirling in some half and half or even whipping cream. It's extra creamy. But, if you're being health conscious, this is a great soup because it is very nutritious. Per 1 cup serving, without the added cream, it contains 79 calories. 28% come from fat (2.5 grams), 62% are carbohydrate, and 10% are protein (nearly ideal proportions according to my Food Science Nutrition 100 class). It's also high in potassium, vitamins A and C, and fiber. You could substitute acorn squash for the butternut, though I've never tried that. This should make about 4 servings.
*sometimes I use more because the amount of squash I have is more than 1 1/2 pounds. I usually want the broth to just cover the squash. If you add even more, it just makes for a thinner soup. You can compensate by adding a bit more seasoning so it doesn't become bland as well as thin.
**probably everyone knows this, but I didn't at first so I thought I'd share. If you're having a hard time cutting up your squash, hack off the very top part with the stem first. This makes a smooth cutting surface and it's much easier to halve the squash after that. Peel it with a regular old vegetable peeler, like peeling a carrot. If you scoop out the seeds using an ice cream scoop or a melon baller, it's easier than a spoon I think.
I'll need to skip the pureeing part, and get some prefab vegetable broth on the way home... and, hm, possibly an onion too. The receipe comes from here, which despite all the low-carb craziness, seems to have some very tasty-sounding dishes. Cilantro-lime soup, for example. oooooooh....
(I'll probably be lazy and will make myself some spaghetti with sauce from a jar and frozen spinach. But one night soon - butternut squash, oh yes.)
Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Parmesan
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped white or yellow onion
2 tsps olive oil
1 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth*
1 butternut squash (about 1 and 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded and chopped into 1-inch cubes**
2 T finely grated parmesan cheese
In a large stockpot over medium heat, sautee the onion in the olive oil until nearly translucent, about 4 minutes. Add seasonings, broth and squash and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes, until squash is tender. Puree half the soup in a blender; return to pot. (My family actually prefers the entire soup being pureed. The texture is super smooth). Stir in parmesan cheese and serve.
This is great with hunks of french bread and a tossed green salad. If you want to be a bit wicked, try swirling in some half and half or even whipping cream. It's extra creamy. But, if you're being health conscious, this is a great soup because it is very nutritious. Per 1 cup serving, without the added cream, it contains 79 calories. 28% come from fat (2.5 grams), 62% are carbohydrate, and 10% are protein (nearly ideal proportions according to my Food Science Nutrition 100 class). It's also high in potassium, vitamins A and C, and fiber. You could substitute acorn squash for the butternut, though I've never tried that. This should make about 4 servings.
*sometimes I use more because the amount of squash I have is more than 1 1/2 pounds. I usually want the broth to just cover the squash. If you add even more, it just makes for a thinner soup. You can compensate by adding a bit more seasoning so it doesn't become bland as well as thin.
**probably everyone knows this, but I didn't at first so I thought I'd share. If you're having a hard time cutting up your squash, hack off the very top part with the stem first. This makes a smooth cutting surface and it's much easier to halve the squash after that. Peel it with a regular old vegetable peeler, like peeling a carrot. If you scoop out the seeds using an ice cream scoop or a melon baller, it's easier than a spoon I think.
I'll need to skip the pureeing part, and get some prefab vegetable broth on the way home... and, hm, possibly an onion too. The receipe comes from here, which despite all the low-carb craziness, seems to have some very tasty-sounding dishes. Cilantro-lime soup, for example. oooooooh....
(I'll probably be lazy and will make myself some spaghetti with sauce from a jar and frozen spinach. But one night soon - butternut squash, oh yes.)