I'm making a fantastic meal tonight, butternut squash soup and grilled chicken. In fact, it's one of the meals my husband requests the most. Oddly enough, it's simple and full of whole, real foods and easy to make!
I usually make this soup on Sunday night and then put it in the fridge, so on busy work nights, all I have to do is heat it up and throw a couple of chicken breasts on the grill. Just because I'm busy, I can still be successful with my eating.
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash
1 granny smith apple
1/2 yellow onion
2 TBS butter
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups water
1 tsp sage
1tsp salt
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (if desired)
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk
Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Split Butternut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds.
3. Place halves skin side down on baking sheet and season generously with salt and pepper.
4. Place 1 TBSP butter on each half of squash.
5. Bake squash halves for 50 minutes to one hour, or until knife tender.
6. Dice 1/2 onion and whole apple and place in hot dutch oven or sauce pot, prepared with a drizzle of olive oil.
7. Add 1tsp sage to apples and onion and cook approximately 8 minutes.
8. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
9. When squash is cooked, take out of oven and place baking sheet on wire rack to help cool.
10. Once cool enough to touch, scoop flesh of squash out of skin and place in pot with apples and onions.
11. Add chicken broth, water, nutmeg, and (if desired, crushed red pepper).
12. Bring to boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring to break up large pieces of squash.
13. At this point, I taste and add any more salt and pepper if needed, add the coconut milk and then take off the heat to cool.
14.At this point, you can either blend the mixture in small batches in a blender, being careful with hot liquids. Or you can do what I do and put it in the fridge. Then, when you're ready to eat just blend and then heat!
Yum! Enjoy!
