There is nothing better then cozying up to a warm bowl of soup on a chilly evening. Soups can pack in a ton of flavor utilizing various food groups creating a balanced meal.
A couple of weeks ago I had a cooking class called “Hearty Soups & Salads” and in the class, we discussed when making soup, the ingredients and steps are well thought out to build and develop depths of flavors.
You might think, pairing butternut squash and Honeycrisp apples would yield a soup too sweet, but with the addition of sharp cheddar and plain yogurt, adds a balance of salty, with a hint of tart and tangy.
When blended, this creates a silky smooth soup. Batch cook and freeze some for later.
Properly cool, freeze, and reheat soup:
Refrigerators and freezers cannot cool soups quickly enough for food safety protocols. Speed up the cooling process by placing the pot of soup in a bath of ice water in the sink. Stir soup to help release the heat.
Label and date large ziplock plastic bags. To help pour soup in the bag, place bag in the bowl and cuff the bag over the edges. Ladle soup into each bag, let out excess air and seal.
Lay bags flat in a single layer in the freezer. When completely frozen, stack bags to save space in the freezer.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
1 tablespoon butter ½ sweet onion, diced 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks 2 Honeycrisp apples, peeled and cut into chunks 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 cup plain Greek yogurt 4 ounces sharp cheddar, grated (about 1/2 cup) [I used Cabot’s sharp cheddar] ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne) Salt and ground pepper to taste Chopped fresh chives, for garnish
Instructions
Saute onions with butter over low medium heat in a large stockpot until translucent. Add squash, apples, and stock or broth in a large pan; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover pan and simmer squash for 20 minutes or until very tender. Uncover and let cool. Puree in blender or food processor, in batches, if necessary. Return puree to saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Stir in yogurt, cheese, and ground red pepper. Add salt and ground pepper to taste. Whisk soup just until heated through (do not allow to boil). Serve sprinkled with chives.
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Butternut and Acorn Squash soup is a healthy, creamy, one-pot meal or can be served as an easy appetizer, so cozy up because dinner is almost ready!
Ever wonder how food bloggers come up with their recipes?
I pretty much think or talk about food all day. At work, I’m educating clients about nutrition through food or teaching cooking classes. Then, for the blog, my recipe creations are inspired by conversations I have, discussions in cooking classes or demonstrations, or simply from a particular ingredient. Travel definitely plays a big role in recipe development too. I love dining out when I travel, experiencing the local fare. I like to try and recreate recipes I’ve tried with my own little twist.
Ever wonder what kind of squash to use for different recipes? I break it down here!
Next time before you start dialing for takeout, really take a look at what is in your kitchen. You never know – you might whip up something delicious!
Ingredients Needed for Butternut and Acorn Squash Soup
Spices: garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper, garam masala
Oil
Miso – I prefer chickpea miso or white miso
Cashews
Apple – try to get a sweeter variety such as Honeycrisp, Gala, or Pink Lady
Veggie broth – low sodium of course!
Water
How to Make Butternut Acorn Squash Soup
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Using a paring knife, pierce the squash, place them on the baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes. Once they are done cooking, let them cool slightly before dicing into cubes.
Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large pot. Add the garlic, carrots, and onions.
Saute for about 3 minutes or until the onions start becoming translucent.
Add the nutmeg and garam masala and stir to coat the veggies.
Stir in the miso, cashew, cubed squash, and apple. Once combined, add the veggie broth and water. Make sure everything is covered and use more water if needed.
Simmer for 30 minutes, until the squash is tender and season with salt and pepper.
Add the soup to a blender in batches and blend until smooth. You could also use an immersion blender directly in the pot if you are using stainless steel.
Do You Have to Roast the Squash First?
Roasting the squash ahead of time makes them softer and much easier to peel and dice.
My Soup is Too Thick, What Should I Do?
Once you blend all of the ingredients together and you find that it’s thicker than you would like, simply stir in water a little at a time until it’s your desired consistency.
Is this Butternut Acorn Squash Soup Healthy?
You betcha! These winter squash varieties are full of antioxidants and vitamins! Not to mention the healthy fats and fiber from the cashews, and the nourishment of the broth base.
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1 apple, peeled and diced (preferably a sweet variety like Honeycrisp, gala, pink lady)
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
salt, to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. To easily cut the squashes, pierce butternut squash and acorn squash with a paring knife. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes to soften, so it will be easier to chop. Let cool until able to handle. Peel and dice squash into cubes.
In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and carrots. Saute for about 3 minutes, until onions start to become translucent.
Add the garam masala and nutmeg and coat the vegetables.
Stir in the chickpea miso, cashews, butternut squash, acorn squash, and apple. Stir to combine. Add the vegetable broth and water, covering the vegetables. (Use more water, if needed).
Simmer soup for 30 minutes, until squash is tender. Season with salt and pepper.
In batches, add soup to a blender. Blend until smooth. If soup is too thick, add more water.
Serve warm. (Optional: sprinkle pepitas on top to garnish)
Soups on! Did you know February is Soup Season? I am kicking off Soup Season with this Chicken Zoodle Soup.This post is sponsored by the General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition on behalf of ProgressoTM and ReganMillerJones, Inc. I received free samples of the soup mentioned and was compensated for my time, but as always, opinions are my own! Thank you for supporting brands that make RDelicious Kitchen possible!
During this time of year, soup becomes almost an everyday staple for me. There is nothing better than cozying up to a warm bowl of soup on a cold winter day. If it is a soup from scratch or from a can or package, my goal is to bump up the veggies. I get a lot of questions about canned soup from clients. Canned soup is quick & easy. It’s convenience in a can! Whether you’re cooking for one or a family, prep a meal in minutes. There is a whole aisle dedicated to just soup at my local grocery store, so it can be challenging to decide which one would be the best choice.
First, check your ingredient list. ProgressoTM is now serving White Meat Chicken With No Antibiotics. Ever! They do not include any artificial colors or flavors.
Then, check the serving size. You may be surprised, in a can of soup there is usually more than 1 serving per container. In one can of ProgressoTM Light Chicken Noodle Soup there are 2 servings. By adding zoodles, this one can of soup turned into 4 servings, which now cuts the sodium in half per serving.
Have #SoupYourWay by pairing with zoodles, a side salad, or a sandwich.
By adding more veggies, it adds an extra punch of nutrition and flavor, helps stretch your dollar, which in turn will create more servings to also help lower the sodium content.ProgressoTM is out to prove that “vegetables” and “flavors” can co-exist.
Simply pour the hot soup over the zoodles and enjoy. It can’t get much simpler than that!
If you have leftovers, make sure you are cooling down and storing properly. Leftover soup can last in the refrigerator for three days and up to one month in the freezer. Follow these steps to store soups for later use.
Refrigerators and freezers cannot cool soups quickly enough for food safety protocols. Speed up the cooling process by placing the pot of soup in a bath of ice water in the sink. Stir soup to help release the heat.
Label and date large ziplock plastic bags. To help pour soup in the bag, place bag in the bowl and cuff the bag over the edges. Ladle soup into each bag, let out excess air and seal.
Lay bags flat in a single layer in the freezer. When completely frozen, stack bags to save space in the freezer.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
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A creamy soup without the cream? Check out the secret ingredient that makes this dairy free Creamy Tomato Soup thick and creamy. Can you believe it’s almost 2017!? Where did the year go? The Recipe ReDux club is playing a little party game at the end of 2016: Grabbing your nearest cookbook and ReDux the recipe on page 201, 16, 216 – or any combination of the number ‘2016.’
I opened You Have It Made cookbook by Ellie Krieger to page 126 – creamy tomato soup. I actually won this cookbook at FNCE at the Luvo booth and was able to meet one of favorite chef/RD’s Ellie Krieger. This soup is so simple and packed with flavor. It’s called a “Creamy” Tomato Soup, but guess what? There’s no cream! That’s the magic of Registered Dietitian chefs – we know how to alter recipes with alternative ingredients to pack in more nutritional value while still getting delicious results. The magic behind this creamless creamy soup – cashews! Cashews provide the ultimate creaminess when blended into soups. They make this creamy tomato soup so thick and smooth you would never know there isn’t dairy in there.
You can’t have tomato soup without grilled cheese, am I right? Instead of adding a grilled cheese on the side, I made mini grilled cheese “croutons” with my favorite whole grain bread + Cabot cheddar cheese.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice, 1 1/2 cups of water, the cashews, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the soup begins to thicken, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, for about 15 minutes, then puree in 3 batches until smooth, transferring the puree to a pot or storage container as it is pureed.
To continue, reheat the soup in a pot over medium heat until it comes to a simmer.
As the soup is cooking, spread butter on each slice of bread. Place butter side of bread down in a small pan, layer with cheese, then place the other slice of bread on top (butter side facing up). Cook until golden brown on each side and cheese has melted. Cut into small squares.
Pour soup into bowl and top with mini grilled cheese “croutons”.
Notes
Creamy Tomato Soup recipe by Ellie Krieger’s You Have It Made cookbook.
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Warm-up this winter with a warm bowl of Vegetable Lentil Soup. This vegan-friendly soup will be sure to help meet your daily recommendations of veggies for the day!
Dare I say it’s actually starting to feel like winter here in New Jersey. Usually, in December I’m beginning to make my favorite soups, but this year was just so warm. I’m hoping I’m not jinxing myself and all of a sudden we are going to get a blizzard. If so, I do have this big batch of vegetable lentil soup to warm up with!
One of my favorite things at work is teaching cooking classes. A few months ago I taught a class called “Soups and Stocks”. My goal for the class was to show how making soup at home can be simple, nutritious, and delicious. The biggest complaints I heard from customers is when they tried making it at home, their soups “tasted bland, watered down, and boring”. The key to a flavorful soup is the base: stock. Due to the process, Progresso’s chefs use to simmer the real bones, Progresso Cooking Stocks have rich, meaty flavor and are full of body, making them ideal for adding deep, complex flavor to many dishes including soups, stews, sauces, and gravies.
What’s the difference between stock and broth?
The foundation of any great soup of stew is a flavorful broth or stock. Often the terms stock and broth are used interchangeably, but there are three important differences: ingredients, cook time, and seasoning.
Stock is made by simmering a combination of bones, mirepoix (carrots, celery, and onion), and aromatics in water for two to six hours. Gelatin from the bones is an essential part of the stock that is created when the connective tissue in meat breaks down, giving stock its body; the gelatin is what causes a stock to gel when chilled.
Broth is typically made by simmering meat, mirepoix, and aromatics for a shorter amount of time, typically between 1 and 2 hours. It is also often more heavily seasoned than stock.
Bone broth is a hybrid of broth and stock. It is cooked for a long period of time and the goal is not only to extract the gelatin from the bones (like in a stock), but also to release the nutritious compounds and minerals (namely collagen, but also glucosamine, amino acids, electrolytes, calcium, and more).
Warm up this winter with a warm bowl of Vegetable Lentil Soup. This vegan soup will be sure to help meet your daily recommendations of veggies for the day!
Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots, cook stirring often, until onion becomes tender and translucent.
Add the garlic, cumin, and thyme. Cook until fragrant. Add fire roasted tomatoes and chickpeas.
Add the lentils, then pour in Progresso vegetable cooking stock and water. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Bring soup to a boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
Transfer 3 cups of soup into a blender or food processor (make sure to get an even mixture of veggies and broth). Puree mixture until smooth. Add pureed soup back into the pot and add kale. Cook until wilted.
Disclosure: By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Progresso and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.
Nothing is better than coming inside from a cold winter day and warming up with a hearty bowl of soup. Making soup from scratch is by far better than the canned stuff. Canned soups are packed with a ton of sodium. The recommended intake of sodium is < 2,400 mg per day. In some soups thats 75% of your sodium intake right there!
Making homemade soup is simple. Plus, if you make a big batch you can freeze half and bring it back out later in the winter season. Stick to the broth based soups with tons of vegetables for fewer calories and for a nutrient dense meal.
Hearty Vegetable Soup
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients: 4 strips bacon, diced 3 carrots, peeled and chopped into a small dice 4 celery stalks, chopped into a small dice 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 medium red onions, chopped Salt and pepper 1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced 3/4 cup sundried tomatoes, sliced 2 quarts low sodium vegetable stock
2 quarts water 3 cups kale, roughly chopped 1 lb whole-wheat ditalini pasta 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas
Directions:
1. In a large stock pot over add the bacon and cook until crispy. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, and onions to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the veggies are tender, 7-8 minutes more.
2. Add the mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, and cook for another 2 minutes.
3. Add the stock and water to the pot, and bring up to a boil.
4. Add the kale, pasta, and chickpeas to the soup pot, and cook until the pasta is al dente. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Ladle the soup into shallow bowls.
(nutrition facts based on calorie count)
Enjoy!
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