Butternut Squash Soup with White Beans & Greens

Sweet butternut squash, aromatic onions and garlic, white beans, and dark leafy greens deliver terrific flavours and great nutrition to this nourishing soup. Pair a bowl of this tasty soup with hot crusty bread and you’ll have a wonderful and warming meal.

The nutrient-dense vegetables and beans help you obtain a variety of nutrients and many health-promoting compounds in one bowl. In fact, some research suggests that nutrient-dense soups such as these can help keep us healthy. As we head into Winter, a season where colds are more common, a nutrient-rich diet will help boost your immune system and keep your body’s defenses primed to fight off viruses.
You can substitute other winter squash for the butternut. Acorn, kabocha, or pumpkin would work well. Exact proportions aren’t important, so adjust the ingredients to suit the size of your vegetables and your taste.

Ingredients

  • 1 large (or 2 small) butternut squash (about 2 lbs, should yield about 3.5 cups cooked)
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped (about 1.5 cups)
  • 2 ribs of celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed or chopped
  • 3-4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • 4 cups cooked white beans* (or two 19-oz cans, rinsed and drained)
  • 2 cups dark leafy greens, chopped (spinach, Swiss chard, or kale)
  • A generous amount of pepper, and salt (to taste)
  • Additional seasoning (optional) – thyme and sage
    *white kidney beans (cannellini beans), navy or Great Northern beans will all work

Directions

  1. Cook squash (you have a few options here, depending on how much time you have – see how to cut and cook squash). If you have time, roasting the squash deepens the flavour, but any method will work! Once cooked and cooled, scoop the squash out of the skin and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into rough 1-inch chunks and mash 1/3 of the squash.
  2. In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add onion, celery, and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Stir in cooked squash and 3 cups of broth.
  3. Mash about 1/3 of the white beans with a fork or masher, and add all beans to the soup. Add extra broth (or water) depending on whether you prefer a thinner or thicker soup. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
  4. If you’re using kale, chop finely; more tender greens like spinach or chard can be roughly cut. Add greens to your soup and simmer until greens are wilted (about 5 to 10 minutes).
  5. Taste and season with pepper or salt as needed. Serve hot.
    Makes about 10 cups.

Nutrition Per Cup

  • 160 calories
  • 7 g protein
  • 28 g carbohydrates
  • 3 g fat ( 0 mg cholesterol
  • 9 g fiber
  • 695 mg sodium
  • 575 mg potassium

Sheila Kealey is a health promotion consultant, writer, and athlete passionate about encouraging lifestyle habits that promote good health. She has a Masters’ degree in Public Health and has collaborated on many research studies related to diet and health. Sheila cross country ski races with XC Ottawa, and also competes in triathlons and running races (5k’s are her favourite, but she has gone the distance once, running a 2:57 marathon). Sheila loves developing healthy recipes, and sharing advice on nutrition, physical activity, sports science, and tasty nourishing foods on Twitter and her website.