Butternut Squash Soup

Soup is an excellent prep ahead meal to have on hand. Blended soups like this one are an excellent way to increase vegetable consumption.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
6 cups Butternut Quash, cubed
1 cup Leek, sliced
2 cups Yukon Gold Potato, cubed
2 tsp Thyme
4 cups Chicken Stock
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

Directions

Add olive oil to a Dutch oven or large saucepan and turn to medium heat.

Add squash to pot and stir. Cook for 2 minutes. Add potatoes and stir. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add leeks and stir, cooking for 1 more minute. Add salt, pepper, thyme and chicken stock and stir.

Bring soup to a boil and simmer until vegetables are tender, usually 20-25 minutes.

After vegetables are tender, carefully blend soup until smooth using an immersion blender, or transfer soup from the pot to a regular blender and blend in batches.

Tips: Leeks should be soaked in water after cutting to wash away any soil trapped beneath the layers.  To save time, pre cut butternut squash can be used.  Vegetable stock may be substituted for chicken stock to make a vegetarian soup.

Per one serving:  

192 Calories, 0 mg Cholesterol, 4 g Total Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat, 1125 mg Sodium, 37 g Carbohydrate, 5 g Fiber, 7 g Protein.