Buttercup Squash Soup

One man’s trash is another man’s…squash soup?

 

This recipe reminded me of the terrible rumor that you shouldn’t get soup in a diner because it’s all the leftovers from the kitchen that are “on their way out.”

 

I still order soup in diner but the thought itself came in handy because in this instance I made this soup with all leftovers! I had roasted some squash the other night for dinner and had been eating it for 3 nights straight and I couldn’t handle another night of it. So I decided to turn my squash overkill into something that was delicious and so low in points it’s crazy!

Buttercup Squash Soup

Makes 4 servings

1 serving = 1 cup

1 cup = 2 Points Plus

 

The ingredients are minimal:

 

• 1 cup red onion, diced
• ½ cup carrot, diced (I actually used baby carrots—because that’s what was in my frig)
• ½ cup celery, diced
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 4-5 sprigs of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 # winter squash (I used buttercup but you could use butternut, acorn, or even frozen squash)
• ½ cup of chicken broth (fat-free)
• 5 cups of water
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper, to taste
• Optional: fat-free sour cream or fat-free plain Greek yogurt

 

The key to this soup is to caramelize your mirepoix (onions, carrots, and celery, and in this case also the scallions). By caramelizing your mirepoix you are adding a new depth of flavor and complexity to your soup. If your vegetables begin to stick to the bottom of the pan…add water not fat!

Continue cooking until golden brown. Add your garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Then add your squash, chicken broth, and water. Season with cayenne, cumin, salt, and pepper and bring the soup up to a boil. Knock it back down to a simmer and let it go for about 30 minutes or until all the veggies and squash are nice and tender.

When the veggies and squash are ready turn off the heat and let the soup hang out for 15-20 minutes. Letting the soup cool a bit before blending will prevent any splatters or accidents.

 

I used my blender to puree the soup but you can use a food processor or an immersion blender.

You may need to add some water (or chicken stock) depending on the consistency that you want to achieve when blending.

So now you leftovers have become something new and exciting. Garnish with some fat-free sour cream or plain Greek yogurt! Mmmmmm