Silky Butternut Squash Soup
 
Prep Time
Cook time
Total time
 
This is my THM-friendly version of Panera Bread's Autumn Squash Soup! I used this combination of butternut squash and sweet potato for the best flavor and color. (Pumpkin was not a good addition; I tried it.) Allergy information in Notes section below.
Author:
Recipe type: Entree/Soup
Cuisine: THM E | Low Fat
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 cinnamon sticks (broken in half)
  • 1 (4 lb.) butternut squash (peeled, seeds removed, chunked)
  • 1 (12 oz.) sweet potato (peeled and chunked)
  • 1 large onion (peeled and chunked)
  • 6 large garlic cloves (crushed and peeled)
  • -
  • 1 (13.66 oz.) can light coconut milk
  • ⅓ cup collagen
  • 2 tablespoons Better-than-Bouillon chicken bouillon
  • 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons THM Super Sweet Blend
  • 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon each chili powder, black pepper
  • -
  • ½ cup oat fiber (use gluten-free if necessary)
  • ½ cup water
Instructions
  1. Bring the first set of ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven or soup kettle. (I like to get the water and cinnamon sticks heating up while I peel and chop the veggies.) Cover and simmer until the ingredients are soft and falling apart.
  2. Turn the burner off so the hot soup won’t sputter in your face. Discard the cinnamon sticks and blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. (You can try using a regular blender for this but be very careful when blending hot liquids.)
  3. Add the second set of ingredients and blend again.
  4. Add the oat fiber and water and blend again until smooth. Turn the heat back on, cover the kettle but leave the lid open a crack to let some water evaporate as the soup simmers, and simmer for 15-20 minutes to thicken the soup and let the flavors develop.
  5. After the soup has simmered, check the consistency and feel free to add more water a little at a time if you think it’s too thick. Taste and adjust the soup to your preferences (more salt? sweetener? vinegar?), then serve! The soup will thicken a bit as it cools and I prefer the flavors when the soup isn’t piping hot. Leftovers taste even better the next day.
Notes
-I find that the cinnamon sticks add a nice subtle note of cinnamon without making the soup overtly potpourri-ish. You could try omitting them and just adding a dash of ground cinnamon.
-The light coconut milk adds 2.81 grams of fat to the soup per serving, contributes to the silky texture, and doesn’t make the soup taste like coconut. I like the Thai Kitchen brand from Walmart.
-The collagen adds some protein to an otherwise protein-less soup. It may also contribute to the silky texture of the soup. Keep this in mind if omitting the collagen.
-I really like the Better-than-Bouillon chicken bouillon found at Walmart or a local grocery store. It’s high quality and has a really good flavor. Better-than-Bouillon is not dairy free so if you need to, use a dairy-free chicken bouillon or try omitting the bouillon altogether and use fat-free chicken broth in place of the water in the recipe. The soup’s flavor may not be quite as strong and mellow so compensate by adding extra salt and seasonings as necessary.
-The oat fiber gives the soup more of the Panera Bread flour-thickened texture. Use a good brand that is light in color and mild in flavor, like LifeSource brand.
ALLERGY NOTES
*Gluten free: use GF ingredients.
*Egg free
*Nut free: most people with tree nut allergies can have coconut products, but confirm with your doctor first.
*Dairy free: use a DF chicken bouillon (the one I used is not DF) or sub fat-free chicken broth for the water in the recipe and omit the bouillon, increasing salt and seasonings as needed to compensate.
Calories: 215 Fat: 4 grams Carbohydrates: 33.25 grams net carbs (minus sugar alcohols and fiber) Protein: 9 grams
Recipe by Briana Thomas at https://www.briana-thomas.com/silky-butternut-squash-soup/