RECIPES

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash (about 1.125 kg/2 1/4 lbs)
• 1 tsp (5 ml) canola oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp (10 ml) mild curry powder or paste
• 3 cups (750 ml) sodium reduced vegetable or chicken broth without msg
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh cilantro or parsley (optional)
• 1/4 tsp (1 ml) fresh ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup (75 ml) 0% fat plain Greek yogurt (optional)

Preparation

1. Using a vegetable peeler, peel squash. Cut squash in half crosswise, then cut each half in half lengthwise. Remove seeds. Chop squash into equal pieces (about 2.5 cm/1 inch); set aside.
2.  In a soup pot or large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat and add onion, garlic and curry powder. Cook, stirring for about 2 minutes or until starting to soften. Add chopped squash, broth and cilantro, if using. Bring to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for about 25 minutes or until squash is very tender.
3. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Ladle into blender in batches or alternatively, using an immersion blender, puree soup in pot until smooth. Stir in pepper. Serve with a dollop of yogurt if desired.

TIPS :

Save some soup for the next day’s lunch. Add canned, drained and rinsed chickpeas to the soup to keep you energized all afternoon.

Transform this soup using broccoli, cauliflower or sweet potato: Omit butternut squash and replace it with 1.5 L (6 cups) chopped fresh broccoli or cauliflower. Peel stalk of broccoli and chop with florets, or just chop the cauliflower. Or sub in 2 large sweet potatoes (about 1 kg/2 lbs), peeled and chopped, instead of the butternut squash.

When using the blender, be sure to let soup cool slightly and, when pureeing, hold the lid with a kitchen towel to ensure it doesn’t pop off. Fill the blender only half way for each batch when pureeing.

Recipe developed by Emily Richards, P.H. Ec. for Health Canada and the Hearth and Stroke Foundation.