Healthy butternut squash soup

I love fall.

I love soups.

I love fresh vegetables sold at farms.

While picking up pumpkins and apples ..

I had to buy some freshly picked butternut squash.

This soup is perfect!

Its healthy, made from all fresh whole food & simply delicious.

adapted from: Wholefoodsmarket.com

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion. peeled and chopped

1 carrot, washed and chopped

1 stalk of celery, washed and chopped

2 tablespoon olive oil

4 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

 In a large pot, preferably cast iron,  heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until onions are translucent, around 5 minutes, stirring often. Add squash, chicken broth, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Once it has been brought to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook covered for 30 minutes or until squash is tender. 

Turn off heat and let soup slightly cool.

Add 1 cup applesauce and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg. Stir to combine.

Add the soup mixture into a food processor or blender. puree soup on medium speed until well pureed.  You will probably have to do small batches of soup at a time in your blender.

Once pureed, pour fresh soup into bowls to eat or into mason jars to store in refrigerator. 

Enjoy!

This soup can also be frozen in the freezer up to 1 month. You may have to thin the soup with some chicken broth when ready to eat.

TIPS-

To learn how to peel and chop butternut squash,

here is a great website to show you how.

click HERE

(ps I LOVE this website)

For different variations of soup,

wholefoodsmarket.com

has fun twists on this soup

click HERE

Fall Turkey Chili

I love soups!

They are full of vegetables,

great leftovers,

& something mostly everyone enjoys.

With fall around the corner,
I have been craving warm chili.
With a shhh-ecret ingredient cinnamon
I hope you enjoy!!!

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Fall Turkey Chili

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 pound lean ground turkey

1 (28 ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes

2 cups water

4-6 tablespoons of chili powder (add to your taste)

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon oregano

salt and pepper to taste

1 (15.5 ounce) can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15.5 ounce) can of chili beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15.5 ounce) can of pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Heat oil in large cast iron pot over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and carrots. Stir and let simmer for 10  minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Add cumin, and let cook for 1 minute. Add ground turkey, raise heat to high, and let cook until turkey is no longer pink. Stir in tomatoes, water,  4 T. chili powder, cinnamon & oregano. Let simmer for 20 minutes with the lid partially on. Stir in beans and cook an additional 20 minutes on low heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and the rest of the chili powder if desired.

Enjoy!

Adapted from: Ellie Krieger, Food Network.