Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

This is like the 8th snowstorm of the season in New England and I am so over it. I am counting down the days until Spring when it's enjoyable to be outside again! I realize that the Spring is still quite a few weeks away so I'm making do with this winter by eating lots and lots of comforting hot soup!

This was my first time ever making butternut squash soup and I was pretty pleased with the results. I decided to blend in a can of cannelini beans for some extra fiber and protein and to give the soup a creamier texture and it works really well. In fact, the soup is SO creamy that you would never know there wasn't actual cream in it!

I think the key to creating delicious soup is roasting the veggies before pureeing them. They get golden and slightly caramelized in the oven which makes them ooze with delicious flavor. 

I topped my soup with chopped up parsley, grated pecorino romano and a dollop of part-skim sour cream. I would recommend all of those toppings but definitely feel free to swap out some of your own. 

Butternut squash is my superfood of the week. It contains potassium which is essential for bone health, and is packed with antioxidants that allow the body to fight off free radicals. The beautiful bright orange color in this vegetable signifies that it has carotenoids which are known to protect against heart disease. 

Ingredients:

5-6 cups cubed butternut squash (About a half a squash cubed into 1/2 inch pieces)

1 yellow onion- diced

3 cloves garlic- grated or minced

1 can cannellini beans- rinsed and drained

2-3 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. butter

salt/pepper

*Optional toppings- parsley, pecorino romano/parmesan cheese, sour cream

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2) Line baking sheet with foil. Place cubed butternut squash on tray with 1 tbsp. olive oil and salt and pepper

3) Roast in the oven for 20 minutes

4) While squash is roasting, melt butter and other tbsp of olive oil over medium low heat

5) Add onion and cook for 15 minutes or until caramelized. 

6) Add garlic and beans and cook for 2 more minutes

7) Add onion/garlic/bean mixture to blender and puree until smooth and add it back to the pot

8) When squash is tender add it to the blender in batches with the broth. (I would do a cup of squash at a time to 1/2 cup of broth)

9) Add squash mixture to the pot with the onion/garlic/bean mixture

10) Add salt/pepper to taste and simmer soup on low for 10 minutes

11) Add toppings of your choosing and enjoy!