Oh, my goodness. Oh. My. Goodness.
The first time I intended to make this soup, I had it planned for a while , and oddly enough a similar butternut squash soup was served to me at The King's Feast of The Texas Renaissance Festival. I had never had butternut squash soup before then, but I immediately fell in love. It was thick and rich and served with some sort of toasted seed and herb topping.
It was such a good soup that I thought I would have dreams about it that night.
I was a bit curious when I got home if the recipe that I had come up with would be anything similar to the amazing one that I had at the feast. Needless to say I was somewhat skeptical that so few of ingredients would actually come together to make such an amazing soup.
This soup was absolutely fantastic! It was thick and rich and full of flavor, just like the one at the feast. The soup needed nothing at all, but I happened to have some fresh pesto, leftover bacon, pumpkin seeds and some seeds from my butternut squash that needed toasting - I just had to use those things up. What better way than to top an already ridiculously great soup?
What's even better about this soup is that it's easy and super low in calories, though you would never guess it was healthy in any aspect by how great it tastes.
Sneaky, sneaky butternut squash... how I love you.
Like I said, this soup doesn't need any help, but I really enjoyed the added flavor and crunch of the toppings that I chose.
Seriously, if you're going to make one soup this fall... let it be this one!
I promise that you won't be disappointed.
TheSkinnyFork.com - Originally Posted Oct. 24, 2014 A delicious Fall inspired soup that has been a family favorite for a few years now. Delicious and perfect to warm up in cooler weather. Prep Time: 10 Minutes • Cook Time: 35 Minutes
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: Abouot 2 Cups • Calories: 151 • Fat: 1 g • Saturated Fat: 0 g • Carb: 36 g • Fiber: 6 g • Protein: 5 g • Sugar: 11 g • Sodium: 229 mg
• 2 Lbs. Butternut Squash, Peeled & Cubed
• 1 Medium Green Apple, Peeked & Chopped
• 1/2 Medium Yellow Onion, Chopped
• 2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
• 4 Fresh Sage Leaves
• 1/2 Tsp. Dried Thyme
• 1 1/2 C. Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1 1/2 C. Water
• 1/4 C. Reduced Fat 2% Milk
• Salt & Pepper to Taste
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with foil. Set aside.
Place the 2 lbs. squash on the prepared baking sheet and spray lightly with oil. Season the squash with some salt and pepper to taste and place into the oven to bake for about 20 minutes or until the squash is tender and cooked through.
While the squash is baking, toss the 1 chopped apple, 1/2 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 4 sage leaves, and 1/2 Tsp. thyme together in a the base of a large stock or soup pot over a medium-high heat.
Sauté until all is softened, about 6-7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside until the squash is done.
When the squash is done, remove it from the oven and transfer it to the soup pot along with the cooked apple and onion mixture.
Add the 1 1/2 C. water and 1 1/2 C. broth to the sauce pan and season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Place the pan over a high heat and bring it all to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes, then cover and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and add in the 1/4 C. milk.
Use an immersion blender or regular blender to purée the soup.
You may need to do this in batches if using a standard blender. Also, be sure that you remove the small cap for the 'vent' at the top of the blender and cover with a towel to prevent hot soup explosions.
Divide the soup evenly among bowls.
Garnish and serve right away!
Nutritional Claims: High Fiber • Low Fat • Gluten Free • Wheat Free • Egg Free • Peanut Free • Tree Nut Free •Soy Free • Fish Free • Shellfish Free • Pork Free • Red Meat Free • Crustacean Free • Celery Free • Mustard Free • Sesame Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free • No Sugar Added • Sulphite Free
