Nourishing Squash Soup

This delicious soup is easy to prepare and very nutritious. It is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Because the fiber is cooked, which makes it easier to digest, this soup should not irritate your stomach or upset your digestive system.

Preparation time: 40 minutes.

Serves four.

Ingredients

• 1 very large or 2 medium butternut squash; other varieties of squash are fine to use also
• 2 to 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth; use more broth for thinner soup and less broth for thicker soup; to save time, try low-sodium bouillon cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh, finely chopped gingerroot or ¾ teaspoon dried, ground ginger (dried herb)
• ¼ cup maple syrup

Instructions

• Thoroughly wash the outside of the squash; peel and cut in half.
• Use a spoon to scrape out seeds.
• Cut squash into 1-inch cubes and steam squash in large, lidded soup pot until very soft, usually about 15 minutes. Add water as required. Poke squash with a knife or fork to check for doneness. Alternatively, squash can be microwaved or boiled until tender.
• Remove the squash from soup pot, empty any remaining water from steaming, and return the squash to the pot.
• Add low-sodium vegetable broth, olive or canola oil, gingerroot, and maple syrup, and heat over medium heat, stirring to combine squash and broth. Soup will appear chunky at this point.
• Continue stirring and bring mixture to a low simmer.
• Reduce heat and very carefully (it's very hot!) remove approximately 1 cup of squash and broth and place in a blender.
• Carefully (it's very hot!) blend the squash and broth, venting steam often. Continue to add as much broth from the pan as needed to allow blending into a thick liquid. Be sure to use a lid on the blender, but place the lid lightly on the blender and hold your hand over it. Lift the lid a small amount several times while blending to vent the steam. This will prevent steam and pressure from building up, which could cause the lid to blow off the blender. Return the blended squash and broth to the pan, and stir to combine with the soup. Continue removing and blending small portions of squash pieces and broth until desired consistency and smoothness is reached.
• Remove from heat.
• Serve and enjoy!

Per serving: 275 calories; 44 grams of carbohydrates; 4.5 grams of protein; 9 grams of fat; 9 grams of fiber; 150 milligrams of sodium*; 1,064 milligrams of potassium

*Does not include salt added during cooking or after serving.

If you are feeling good and eating well, you may not need high calorie eating tips and recipes. Instead, you can try our recipes in the Wellness Nutrition area.