Trainer Tested Recipe: Skinny Squash Soup

What happened?! I don’t know about your neck of the woods, but around here it’s turned from 45-degrees and blazing sun to 8-degrees and rainy in a matter of days. Pumpkin patches are brimming with orange jewels and the furnace is on… it’s time to take control of my kitchen again!

Fall is soup weather. And if you’re watching your waistline, soup should be a staple in your diet. The water content of soup helps fill you up on fewer calories. Soup makes a great light meal with a side salad or, if eaten as an appetizer, soup is proven to act as an effective appetite suppressant and help you eat less of your main course. Stay away from “cream of” and “chowder” varieties and that hot, steamy bowl of goodness is some of the healthiest “comfort food” you can whip up. Here’s one of my favourite soup recipes (which also makes great kid food or baby food – just adjust seasoning as needed). I made it to distract myself the day I went into labour with my second baby last year – it’s that simple. It’s super low-cal, packs some filling fibre, and the spices add an antioxidant kick and lots of exotic flavour.  Enjoy! Yields 8 servings.

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1 tsp. canola oil
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne powder
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 carton (900 mL) no-salt or low-sodium chicken broth (approx. 3 1/2 cups)
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup plain, low-fat yogurt
• sea salt & pepper
• 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Cut squash in half and seed; place face-down on baking sheet and bake 45-60 minutes, until tender. 3. Cool squash and scoop out flesh. 4. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat; add celery, onion and carrot, and saute, covered, until soft, about 8-10 minutes. 5. Stir in squash, spices and broth, and simmer, covered until vegetables are very tender, about 20-25 minutes. 6. Puree soup with immersion blender until smooth; add more water if needed. 7. Season with salt & pepper. Serve garnished with a drizzle of yogurt and sprinkle of parsley. Nutrition Information: (per serving, with 1 tbsp. yogurt) 74 calories; 0.9 g fat ; 3.7 g protein; 15.8 g carbohydrate; 3.6 g fiber