Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Shredded Apples make a satisfying dinner. Just add a fresh green salad and some high-fiber, whole-grain bread.

Butternut squash, the anchor of the recipe, is a good source of fiber, potassium and magnesium, according to the Produce for Better Health Foundation. With no fat or sodium, butternut squash is an excellent source of vitamins A and C.

Among other benefits, Vitamin A helps form and maintain healthy skin, teeth, skeletal and soft tissue, mucus membranes and skin, according to the National Institutes of Health. It promotes good vision, especially in low light. A diet insufficient in Vitamin A can leave you vulnerable to vision problems andinfectious disease. Too much of it can cause illness and birth defects.

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Shredded Apples

Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 20 minutes.

Per Serving: 290 calories, 4 grams of fat, 370 mg of sodium.
Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes (16 oz. each), frozen pureed butternut squash
• 2 medium apples
• 1 Tbsp., olive oil
• ½ tsp., pumpkin pie spice
• 2 cans (12 oz each), fat-free evaporated milk
• ¼ tsp., salt
• 1/8 tsp., ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Place the frozen squash in a microwave-safe dish. Cover loosely. Defrost in the microwave on medium power for 5 to 10 minutes, until mostly thawed.
2. Meanwhile, peel then shred the apples using a grater or food processor, or peel and finely chop apples into thin strips. Set aside ¼ cup.
3. Warm oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add all but ¼ cup of the apples. Cook and stir until apples soften, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in thawed squash and pumpkin pie spice.
5. Add the evaporated milk about ½ cup at a time, stirring after each addition.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Cook and stir over high heat just until soup is about to boil.
8. Ladle into individual soup bowls. Top each with a tablespoon of the unused apples. Sprinkle with additional pumpkin pie spice if desired, and serve.

Recipe courtesy of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

This post was written by Nancy Copperman, RD, director of public health initiatives in the office of community health at the North Shore-LIJ Health System.

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