Pureeing the soup creates the creamy texture without extra fat. This is one of my favorite fall “creamy” soups that has a great spice kick that you can adjust to your liking.
(modified from original recipe from Cooking Light)
Serves 6 (1 ½ cups each)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 2/3 cup celery, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups (3/4 inch cubed) peeled butternut squash (~ 1 ½ pounds)
- 4 cups fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper/cayenne (less if you prefer it less spicy hot)
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (I’m not a big cloves fan, so a small dash is all I actually add)
- ½ cup plain unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 tablespoons unsalted pumpkin seeds, toasted
- 2 pre-cooked turkey bacon slices, crumbled
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, celery and garlic to pan; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add squash; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in broth, cumin, red pepper, cinnamon and cloves; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until squash is tender. Stir in cream, oregano, salt, pepper and beans; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Puree the soup in the Dutch oven using an immersion blender until smooth or in a regular blender in small batches. NOTE: If using the regular blender, fill it no more than halfway! Release one corner of the lid (this prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions). Place a towel over the top of the blender, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth and pour contents into a large bowl. Repeat until you have pureed the entire batch. I’ve learned this the hard way, which is why I now own and use an immersion blender.
Sprinkle each serving with pumpkin seeds and bacon.
Nutritional Info/Serving: 204 Calories, Fat 5 g, Protein 9 g, Carbs 37 g
21 Day Fix Container Equivalents/Serving: 1 Green, 1.5 Yellow, 0.5 Orange, 0.5 tsp
Leave a Reply