By Carmel Nelson

Winter Soup

SERVES 4 TO 6

Here’s a quick way to turn veggies and apples into a comforting, nutritious meal. This soup complements most menus as a nice first course but it’s hearty enough to stand alone. Add cooked chicken chunks to make it even more substantial.

1 butternut squash, peeled and shredded in a food processor
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and shredded
3 carrots, peeled and shredded
¼ cup finely chopped sweet onion
4 cups water
1-2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
¼ teaspoon ground mace
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons coconut milk
1 cup milk of choice (rice, soy, hemp, nut)
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Combine vegetables and apples in a large stockpot. Add water and let mixture boil for about 15 minutes or until tender.

2. Stir in spices, maple syrup, coconut milk and milk of choice.

3. Carefully transfer hot soup in batches to a food processor and puree until smooth. Or puree with a hand-held blender. Serve hot.

Each serving contains 167 calories, 2g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 433mg sodium, 38g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 2g protein.

TIP Look for jars of freshly grated ginger in the produce section of your supermarket. Much less work than grating your own!

Read More on These Topics

• Celiac/Gluten Free
• Cooking
• Meals