Spicy Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup

Every time I come up with a new combination of veggies and flavors to make soup, it immediately becomes my favorite.    And that’s true of this one…. actually I have been keeping it all to myself over the past couple of weeks, but now that I only have one serving left, which I am enjoying for lunch today, I think it is about time I shared it with you. I am calling it my Spicy Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup.

And believe me, naming this soup was a bit of a problem for me. It has lots of garlic in it, and it also has curry powder… but honestly, Garlicky Curried Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup just sounds so cumbersome… and sometimes putting the word curry in the title of a soup scares people away. And if you thought you didn’t like garlic, that might turn you off as well (leave it out – really!)
So, Spicy Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup it is, and not matter what I might call it, it is fabulous. Really!

I used my homemade turkey broth and my usual soup method to prepare this soup but you could use a store-bought chicken stock, or even make it vegan, and go with a veggie broth. I like to make my own. Ignoring either of those options, just use water. I know the garlic and the curry will give it enough flavor.

I like to freeze leftovers in individual portions.  Just pop it into a small saucepan to thaw and heat for serving.  This soup is thick and hearty and goes like this:

Spicy Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup
Makes 8 one-cup servings.

• 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into one-inch chunks
• 2 large carrots, cut into one-inch lengths
• 1 cup onions slices
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 4 cups broth of choice
• 2 Tbs curry powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Prepare your vegetables, onions, garlic, and set aside.
2. Melt 2 tsp coconut oil over MEDIUM heat in large stock pot.
3. Add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes till translucent, taking care not to let them brown.
4. Add the squash and the carrots and cook about 5 minutes more.
5. Add the curry powder and stir till all the veggies are coated.
6. Add the stock, cover with a lid and turn heat to HIGH.
7. When the broth has come to a boil, turn heat to LOW and let simmer for 45 minutes.
8. Remove the pot from the heat and uncover.  Allow soup to cool for at least 15 minutes.
9. Puree in batches or with an immersion blender till smooth.
10. Ladle into serving bowls, and season liberally with salt and a dash of pepper. Serve warm.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 2.
Calories 88; Protein 3g; Carbohydrate 18g; Fat 1g; Fibre 3g.

If you are following the Simply Filling Technique, there is really nothing to count here as the oil per serving is only 1/4 tsp.

And I also love it with a bit of plain Greek yogurt .

It adds an element of creaminess, and also packs a great protein punch.

Printable Recipe

What's your favorite combination of veggies for homemade soups?

Do you like to garnish your soups with yogurt, or even sour cream?

Carrot Soup with Sweet Potato and Red Pepper

I have made this soup a couple of times… and realized today when making it again, that I haven’t posted the recipe before.  I was quite surprised and decided I should correct that little omission right away.

These are ingredients that I love individually, so blended together they become pure delicious bliss!  And the color is wonderful too.  And only to barely mention the lovely aroma while it cooks!

I am using homemade turkey stock in my soup, but feel free to sub whatever low fat chicken stock you would normally use for soup or stews, or even a vegetable stock if that is what you prefer.  Failing that, use water! 
 
And of course the measurement don’t have to be exact for the vegetables either… but if you use less, try using less stock too.  You want the outcome to be thick!

I used cumin for my spice because I am loving curried dishes right now, and I have added a dash of red pepper flakes for a bit of a kick, but if you like, you could use ginger and nutmeg and it would be wonderful… I must remember that for my next batch.

I find it easier to prepare all my veggies before I get started… if that suits you, good. If not, just make sure to have your onions and garlic ready first.  It did take me a while to get my carrots and sweet potato and red pepper ready.

I love to make big pots of soup and then freeze it in individual portions so that it is handy for snacks and for lunches on busy days.   Are you a homemade soup fan, too?

Feel free to add a dollop (how I do love that word) of yogurt or sour cream as you serve if you like, or stir in a bit of coconut milk.... Mmmm!

Carrot Soup with Sweet Potato and Red Pepper
Makes 6 generous one-cup servings

• 1 Tbs coconut oil
• 8 or 9 large carrots, about 24 oz, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 medium sweet potato, about 10 oz  , cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1 medium or large red pepper, cut into chunks
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 3 cups stock of choice
• 1 Tbs cumin
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• Dashes of salt and pepper

1. Put the coconut oil in a large soup pot and place on the stove over MEDIUM heat.
2. Add the onions and garlic and saute gently till they become translucent, about 5 or 6 minutes. You don’t want the heat so high that they brown.
3. Add the sweet potato and carrot chunks. Saute about 2 more minutes.
4. Add the cumin and stir all the veggies to coat.
5. Add dashes of salt and pepper and then the stock.
6. Bring to a gentle boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to LOW.
7. Allow the mixture to simmer about 45 minutes till all the veggies are soft and cooked through.
8. Remove from heat and allow the soup to cool a bit and then puree in batches in your blender, or use an immersion blender in the soup pot.
9. Reheat to serve and and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 4.
Calories 135; Protein 4g; Carbohydrate 26g; Fat 3g; Fibre 5g.

Stir it well, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

 

 

Be careful if the soup is hot when you whizz it up!

 

 

Mmmmm.  Good!

 

 

Printable Recipe

 

What's your favorite homemade soup?  I am sure you have one....

How to Make Your Own Vegetable Broth... So Easy!

I am such a frugal foodie!  I hate to see anything useful go to waste in my kitchen.

During the winter months, when I am making more soups and stews, I like to make my own vegetable broth, to have it at the ready when needed.  Vegetable bullion cubes are expensive to purchase.  And this broth is a great vegetarian substitute when a soup recipe calls for chicken broth, too.

So, when I am preparing vegetables such as carrots, celery, and zucchini, instead of discarding the washed ends and parings, I keep them in a zipper lock plastic bag in the refrigerator.  Once the bag is full, I use the contents to make nutritious and flavorful vegetable broth. 

The flavor is a little different every time I make it, as it totally depends on the vegetables used.  But, I like to make it so it can be used in a variety of ways so I don't use the cut ends of onions,  garlic cloves or other strong-flavored vegetables such as cabbage or turnips.  You could use them if you knew that the flavor of the resulting broth would be suitable for a given stew or soup, however.

It only takes about 45 minutes to an hour to have delicious and healthy homemade veggie broth.  Here is how I do it.

To prepare the broth I take the bag of veggies out of of the fridge...

and I empty it into my soup pot.

Then I fill it up with about halfway with water... nope, don't bother to measure.

I cover the pot, and turn the heat to HIGH till it boils, then turn it to LOW to allow it to simmer for about 40 minutes. 

I remove it from the hot stover burner and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes.  It is still steaming in this picture.

Then I strain the broth from the cooked veggies.  I like to pour it into a fine strainer set over a bowl in the sink because the pot of broth and vegetables is heavy and if there is any spillage, it is easy to clean up.

I place the cooled broth in a container and keep it in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze/thaw when ready to use.  This batch resulted in almost 3 quarts of rich vegetable broth.

Next week I am going to share 2 recipes where I use this  lovely broth so do watch for them.