Ginger, Carrot Butternut Squash Soup

Frigging good. And nutritious and low cal. Makes 6 servings at only about 120 calories each. I doubled the recipe and added two cups of honey flavoured non-fat greek yogurt so mine came in at about 140 calories per serving. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds, crispy bacon or cilantro (I used cilantro).


Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash
1 lb [approx. 2 cups] carrots, peeled
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Optional: Creme fraiche
Optional: Pumpkin seeds, toasted
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To prepare baking sheet, cover with foil and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil; set aside.

Cut butternut squash in half; remove seeds and place cut side down on prepared baking sheet. Add the carrots alongside. Bake until squash and carrots are tender and nicely browned, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and until cool enough to handle, peel the skin of the butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise and then into cubes. Dice carrots.

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add ginger and garlic and cook for one minute. Add squash, carrots, chicken broth, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high, bringing to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer, uncovered for about 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool slightly before you puree.

In batches, transfer soup to blender and puree. Careful to fill blender half full or else you’ll end up with an orange mess – about 3-4 batches. Add more salt + pepper if needed. **I just used an immersion blender**

Serve immediate or store in refrigerator in an airtight container.
Enjoy!