Healthy Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

I know what you’re thinking … Healthy AND creamy? Liar.

No, really. This soup is rich, smooth and delicious. And it has only 3 grams of fat per serving, plus a solid dose vitamins A and C. How, you ask? There’s no cream. No butter. Just squash, potatoes, stock and seasoning. And it tastes just as decadent. On a cool, rainy day (read: forecast for this week), it’s fall-in-a-bowl perfection.

Here’s what you need:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1 butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and diced
• 6 cups vegetable broth

Here’s what you do:

Peel and chop up all the vegetables and place them in a large bowl. Heat oil in a big soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add  the garlic, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon and stir together until fragrant – about 1 minute. Add the diced vegetables and vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes, or until the squash and potatoes are tender.

Transfer the soup to a blender (you’ll have to do this in 2-3 batches) and puree, carefully. To do this, remove the cap from the blender and cover the lid with a towel. Start at a slow speed and gradually work up speed as needed to get a smooth consistency. Return soup to pot and stir to even out texture. Continue heating if necessary and adjust seasoning with salt pepper.

Serve and top with chopped walnuts (omega-3s), pecans, raisins, or a dollop of cream if you like.

Sip, slurp, watch the leaves change colors. It’s fall.