October 6, 2016

Hearty & Healthy Recipes for Fall – Curried Butternut Soup

shutterstock-butternut-soupBy Elizabeth Holmes
Clinical Nutritionist Educator, Mission Health

Fall brings bold colors and fun to western North Carolina, and Mission Health brings you a series of fall-friendly recipes. This week, Curried Butternut Soup to keep your family warm on a brisk autumn evening.

Ingredients

  • 8 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 2 lbs)
  • cooking spray
  • 1 Tbsp butter (light buttery spread)
  • 2 cups chopped, peeled Granny Smith apple (about ¾ lb)
  • 1½ cups finely chopped onion`
  • ½ cup thinly sliced celery
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 3 (14½ oz) cans fat-free less-sodium chicken broth
  • ½ cup (2 oz) grated extra-sharp 2% or fat-free cheddar cheese (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange squash in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 45 minutes or until tender.

Melt butter-spread in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add apple, onion, celery and bay leaf, and sauté 10 minutes. Stir in curry powder and garlic, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add squash and broth, and stir well.

Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer uncovered 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Partially mash mixture with a potato masher until thick and chunky, stir well with a spoon. Top each serving with cheese, if desired.

*You can add ground turkey meat to increase the protein.

6 servings (serving size 1 cup soup and 2 tablespoon cheese)

Nutritional information per serving: calories: 180; fat: 5g; protein: 7g; carbs: 28g; fiber: 9g