Healthy and Easy Butternut Squash Soup

• From Kristina: I don't know if I've mentioned it, but I have a very restricted diet in which I have to avoid fresh vegetables and fruits (yes, it's weird!).   Because these restrictions are new for me, I'm always on the lookout for more ways to get vegetables in my diet and this soup is one of my favorite ways! I love this soup for it's simplicity and it's ability to fulfill some of my desperately needed vitamin needs. As an added bonus, the rest of my family loves it too! My very picky 4-year-old daughter always wants it for lunch and dinner when I make it, which makes me very happy!

Printable Recipe

Posted by K. 

Ingredients:

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• 1-2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
• A handful of baby carrots
• 2 medium potatoes peeled and cubed
• 1 sweet potato peeled and cubed
• 24-32 oz cubed butternut squash (I buy it from Costco in a package all ready to cook. It's peeled and cubed. Lots of grocery stores sell it that way now.) You can obviously buy a butternut squash and peel and cube it yourself, if you prefer!
• 1-32 oz. container of chicken stock (enough to cover all the veggies) 
• 1 apple peeled and cubed (cooked separately in microwave in water)
• Curry and nutmeg to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add all the veggies and pour in enough chicken stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
• Transfer the soup + apples to a blender and blend until smooth. Return to pot. Season with salt, pepper, curry and nutmeg to taste.

If this is a little too healthy for you, feel free to add some cheese and/or sour cream to the soup! 

To make even healthier, you can omit the butter and just add everything at once and bring to a boil. I don't normally add any salt and use low sodium chicken stock. 

This is a low calorie, low sodium, high vitamin food and it tastes good too! Enjoy!