Acorn Squash and Apple Soup offers a soothing dish designed to be easily eaten by those with mouth sores or sensitive stomachs due to cancer treatment.
For a soothing, cool-weather meal that’s easy on the mouth and the tummy, turn to squash, apples and onion. When combined into this satisfying soup, you’ll have a good source of potassium and fiber. Prep time takes about 20 minutes. Soup’s ready for serving within an hour.
Ingredients
1 medium acorn of butternut squash (1½ to 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 medium yellow onion, sliced (1/2 cup)
2 medium tart cooking apples, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
½ teaspoon dried basil leaves
2 cans (14 ounces each) chicken broth
½ cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white or black pepper
Preparation
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half; remove seeds and fibers. Place cut sides up in 13-by-9-inch pan. Pour ¼ inch water into pan. Bake uncovered about 40 minutes or until tender. Cool. Remove pulp from rind and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in heavy 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Stir in apples, thyme and basil. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Remove 1 cup apples with slotted spoon; set aside. Place 1/3 each of the remaining apple mixture and squash in blender or food processor. Cover, blend on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth, then pour into bowl. Continue to blend in small batches until all soup is pureed.
- Return blended mixture and 1 cup reserved apples to saucepan. Stir in half-and-half, nutmeg, salt and pepper and cook over low heat until thoroughly heated.
Nutritional information
This recipe makes six servings. Each contains:
190 calories
7 grams fat
20 milligrams cholesterol
670 milligrams sodium
690 milligrams potassium
26 grams carbohydrates
6 grams dietary fiber
5 grams protein
Source: “Betty Crocker Living With Cancer Cookbook”
This article appears in the fall 2016 issue of Cancer Care magazine.
