Okay, seriously, I really should start a new blog called Souperella. Think Bakerella would let me get away with that? No? Perhaps The Soup Queen?
In all seriousness, I haven’t made a stinker of a soup yet and I secretly believe that my ability to create a tasty soup from whatever is around is the main reason why Xiris keeps me around :-) The man loves soup! Good thing too, because I love to make soup!
This soup has officially been dubbed “Fall-in-a-Bowl.” It has all the flavors of fall, oh so warm and comforting when the weather has just started to get nippy. The recipe started as an idea from a Food Network Magazine recipe some time ago – and I tweaked and played with it tonight and got something so much better, healthier and soul pleasing.
(I was THAT excited to show you guys (and to tuck in!) that a quick cellphone snap is all I could manage!)
CBear's Fall-in-a-Bowl
click for PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION :-)
Serves 4
Weight Watchers Points: 4, including pumpkin bowl
Ingredients
The Bowls:
4 "Pie Pumpkins" (some store say "Baking Pumpkins")
2 tsp granulated sugar
Kosher salt
The Soup:
2 TBSP unsalted butter
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Kosher salt
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2c Pinot Grigio (or other dry white wine)
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and 1" cubed
2 to 3 medium carrots, sliced into 1/2" chunks - OR - about 20 baby carrots whacked in half
1 tsp sugar
1/3c Fat Free Plain GREEK yogurt
1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
The Toppings:
3 slices bacon, chopped
1/4 large yellow onion, finely sliced
Directions:
To make the bowls: Preheat the oven to 425F. Use a sharp paring knife and cut the top off of the pumpkin. Do a little design if you are making these for a fancy dinner. Scoop out all the seeds and loose fibers (save those Pepitas to roast later! They'd be a yummy topping too!). Sprinkle the insides and the lids with 1/2 tsp sugar. Generously sprinkle all surfaces with kosher salt. Put the pumpkins and lids on a foil lined baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes.
While those roast, make the soup: Melt the butter in a large soup pot over low heat. Add the chopped onion and about 1tsp of kosher salt. Pull the leaves from the thyme stems and add to the pot, increase the heat to medium and cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until reduced and onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Toss the squash and carrots into the pot, along with the sugar. Stir well and cook until the squash and carrots develop a glaze, about 5 minutes. Add 5 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat back to low and simmer until the veggies are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
While the soup simmers, put a small sauté pan over medium low heat. Add bacon and sliced onion and cook until the onions are caramelized and the bacon has rendered all fat and become little nuggets of tasty goodness. Drain on paper towel, set aside.
Once soup is cooked, remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the Greek yogurt and puree with a stick blender (be careful, it's hot still!) If you don't have a stick blender, work in batches in a stand blender. Blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as desired. Grate nutmeg directly into the pot (it's important not to add this until off the heat, as it loses flavor with high heat) and stir.
Ladle soup directly into the warm from the oven pumpkins, top with reserved bacon and onions. You could completely omit the pumpkin bowls, but they aren’t hard – and scooping some of the warm flesh of the sweet baked globe makes an already out of the world soup OVER the moon!
ENJOY!
Nutritional estimates:
Calories 200.5
Total Fat 8.3 g Saturated Fat 4.5 g
Cholesterol 20.0 mg
Sodium 281.6 mg
Potassium 686.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 24.5 g
Dietary Fiber 5.4 g
Sugars 3.1 g
Protein 4.7 g
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