Creamy and sweetly satisfying

This hearty and tasty soup is full of flavor but low in calories. It’s also naturally sweet, with carrots and butternut squash.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces (1 1/4 cups) onion, diced (about 1 large onion)
  • 9 ounces (2 cups) carrots, peeled and diced (about 4 medium carrots)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
  • 46 ounces (9 cups) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced (about 3 medium squash, 5 1/2 pounds whole)
  • 10 cups liquid vegetable broth
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions

  1. In a pot, sautée the onion in olive oil on low flame until clear.
  2. Add carrots and sautée 10 minutes.
  3. Add ginger and sautée 2 minutes.
  4. Add butternut squash and vegetable stock and bring to a boil, then turn heat to medium-low heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
  5. Puree with a blender until smooth and serve.

Chef’s notes: Soup can be blended using a normal blender or an immersion blender. Immersion blenders tend to be safer, quicker and easier to clean. This soup freezes well, too.

Ingredient health benefits

  • Extra virgin olive oil. The Romans used to bathe in this stuff, but we’ll just meet them halfway and pour it on a pan. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is loaded with heart-helpful unsaturated fats that lower your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol and raise your “good” (HDL) cholesterol. These fats also help your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E and K), which support your health from head to toe. And that’s not all: Polyphenols and naturally occurring compounds may decrease unnecessary inflammation and your cancer risk.
  • Onions. They may be smelly and sticky to work with, but onions are one of those ingredients where the true beauty lies within. They’re full of fiber and prebiotics for a happy gut and to keep things moving along. These alliums also have flavonoids and vitamin C to promote your immunity and suppress damaging free radicals.
  • Carrots. A timeless soup ingredient, carrots are rich in vitamin A (just half a cup of carrots provides half your daily recommended intake), which works with carotenoids to maintain your vision and eye health. Certain natural properties can even help reduce your cholesterol over time, which your heart will love. And different colors of carrots have their own unique perks to bring to the table. Yellow carrots, for instance, are a source of lutein, and purple carrots have anthocyanins. So, don’t be afraid to cook ’em all!
  • Ginger. This ancient root has inflammation-fighting antioxidants like gingerol, which might also help with pain related to inflammatory conditions if you eat ginger regularly. And who can forget its famous ability to combat nausea and stomachaches?
  • Butternut squash. Like the other ingredients in this list, butternut squash is a good source of anti-inflammatory antioxidants, such as beta-carotene and vitamin C. Not only do they both support your eye health and immune function, but your skin can also benefit from vitamin C’s ability to promote the production of collagen, which is vital for healing wounds. Beta-carotene may even play a role in decreasing your risk of certain cancers like lung and bladder cancer. The minerals calcium and iron are also present in this seasonal favorite, and they help keep your bones and blood cells strong and healthy.

Nutrition information (per serving)

Makes 17 servings
Serving = 1 cup

Calories: 70
Sodium: 230 mg
Sugars: 4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Saturated fat: 0 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 1 g
Carbohydrate: 13 g

— Recipe courtesy of Wellness Institute Executive Chef Jim Perko, CEC, AAC.