Time was when the meal called supper was a light meal, taken at night—as opposed to dinner, which was a midday meal and generally a heavy, meat-and-potatoes affair. Supper was often a bowl of soup (a word that shares its origins with “supper”), possibly constructed of leftovers from dinner.
Although supper has evolved into the big meal of the day, soups are not often included in the menu, though they should be. Their virtues are many: They can be prepared ahead of time and frozen, and then thawed when needed. And they are a perfect way to use lots of vegetables (and a modest but satisfying amount of meat or poultry if desired). You can round out the meal with whole-grain breads and salads. Best of all, soup recipes tend to be very forgiving, allowing you to substitute ingredients with confidence.
Golden Vegetable Soup
This beautiful orange-gold soup gets its wealth of beta carotene (one serving has over 140 percent of the recommended daily intake) from the carrots and butternut squash. The orange juice intensifies the color and also adds the B vitamin folate.
- 2½ teaspoons olive oil
- ¾ pound carrots, thinly sliced (or baby carrots, cut into small pieces)
- ¾ pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced (for convenience but also higher cost, you can use pre-cut butternut squash often available at local markets)
- 2⁄3 cup water
- ¼ cup frozen orange juice concentrate
- 1½ cups fat-free milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream (optional)
- In a large nonstick saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the carrots and butternut squash, and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to intensify in color, about 5 minutes.
- Add the water, cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Transfer the vegetables and any liquid remaining in the pan to a food processor. Add the orange juice concentrate and process to a smooth puree.
- Return the puree to the saucepan. Add the milk, salt, and cayenne, and simmer over low heat until heated through.
- Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream.
Makes 4 servings; per serving: 172 calories, 4g total fat (1g saturated), 6g dietary fiber, 30g carbohydrate, 6g protein, 375mg sodium.
From The Wellness Kitchen
