Soups

Chilled Beet and Buttermilk Soup
Adapted from the Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites cookbook.
2-15 oz. cans beets, sliced
1 cup unsweetened apple juice
2 cups buttermilk
1/8 tsp prepared horseradish
1 T. minced fresh dill weed, not seed
1/4 cup minced green onions or chives
1/2 cup chopped English cucumber
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream

In blender or food processor, combine beets and herbs and puree until smooth, not whipped. Transfer to large bowl and add apple juice, buttermilk and horseradish. Add salt and pepper to taste, cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. Put in serving bowls and garnish with sour cream, cucumber and fresh dill.
Keeps well for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Serves 4 -6.





Mexican Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
STEP 1:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
5 cups cubed butternut squash
1 large white onion, rough chopped to make about 2 cups
1 T. olive oil
salt and pepper
Toss above ingredients together and spread on baking sheet. Roast uncovered for about 15 minutes until edges of squash and onions turn brown and caramelize but not burned. Like TV chef Anne Burrell says, "Brown food tastes good!"
Remove squash and onion from oven and put in large dutch oven on top of the stove.

STEP 2:
Add the following ingredients to pot and simmer over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until vegetables are cooked through.
3 cups low sodium chicken stock
3/4 tsp. ground cumin (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (I prefer to use garlic powder in creamy soups rather than fresh garlic because the flavor is more subtle and no one likes a creamy soup with a piece of garlic.)
1/2 tsp. chili powder (or more to taste)
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
dash or more of hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne pepper. I used both because I like hot food.
salt and pepper to taste
When the vegetables are tender, remove from heat. Be careful in this next step because it will be very hot.

STEP 3:
Use a hand blender in the pot to puree the soup, being careful not to splash. Or, transfer a few cups of soup at a time to blender until smooth and then return to the pot to keep warm. If the soup is too thick add a little more broth.
Add to pureed soup that is back in the soup pot, over low heat:
2 T. cream cheese - melt into soup. I used full-fat cheese that melted nicely, however feedback on the recipe suggests melting may vary by brand and fat content. You can also use 2 T. cream if you want foolproof soup.
2 tsp. honey or Agave

Stir to melt in the cream cheese and sweetener into the soup. Serve in bowls with croutons, bread or corn bread and enjoy! You could also garnish with toasted pine nuts or pumpkin seeds, which would be delicious.