low-cal feeds a crowd

butternut squash bisque

►make ahead up to 24 hours

Prep: 40 minutes Cook: 35 minutes Chill: up to 24 hours Makes: 8 servings

  • 1 2½- to 3-pound butternut squash or three 12-ounce packages frozen cooked winter squash, thawed
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup chopped onion (1 medium)
  • ½ cup coarsely chopped celery (1 stalk)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 large Braeburn or Gala apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
  • 1 48-ounce box reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup apple cider or apple juice
  • 2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, coarsely chopped (see tip)
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 3 ounces smoked Gouda or smoked cheddar cheese, finely shredded
  • Crumbled crisp-cooked bacon and/or shaved Gouda cheese (optional)

1. Peel, seed, and cube butternut squash. In a 6-quart Dutch oven melt butter over medium-high heat. Add fresh squash (if using), carrot, onion, celery, and garlic. Cook about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently. Add frozen squash (if using), apples, broth, cider, and chile peppers. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 25 minutes or until vegetables and apples are tender. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

2. Using a handheld immersion blender, blend soup, leaving about half of it chunky. (Or transfer about half the soup to a food processor or blender. Cover and process or blend until smooth. Return to Dutch oven.) Stir in sour cream. (To serve today, continue as directed in Step 5.)

3. To serve later, cool soup slightly and transfer to an airtight container. Cover and chill up to 24 hours.

4. To serve, return soup to Dutch oven. Gently reheat over low heat, stirring occasionally and making sure soup does not boil.

5. Remove from heat; add shredded Gouda cheese, stirring until melted. Top with bacon and/or shaved Gouda cheese.

Per serving: 213 cal., 11 g fat (7 g sat. fat), 30 mg chol., 655 mg sodium, 26 g carb., 3 g fiber, 6 g pro.

Tip

Packaged cooked bacon is convenient but pricey. To have some on hand when needed, cook a batch and drain well on paper towels. Store slices between layers of clean paper towels in a resealable plastic bag in the refrigerator up to 1 week. To recrisp, heat in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute; drain again.