Super Girl Squash Soup

A great way to get veggies into kids is to purée them into a soup. Here we have used squash and sweet potato but you can try anything—red peppers, peas, or cauliflower.

3 1/4 cups (800 mL) peeled and diced sweet potato, cut into 1/2 in (1.25 cm) cubes
2 cups (500 mL) water or reduced sodium stock
1/4 tsp (1 mL) onion powder
Pinch of ground ginger
Pinch of garlic powder
Pinch of ground cardamom
Pinch of white pepper
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
4 1/4 cups (1.06 L) peeled and diced butternut squash, cut into 1/2 in (1.25 cm) cubes
3/4 cup (180 mL) coconut milk

In large pot, using vegetable steamer, steam sweet potatoes until very soft (about 20 minutes). Quickly transfer to blender while still hot. Purée.

In large pot, bring water and spices to a simmer. Add squash and return to simmer. Stay here (simmering, covered) until squash is quite soft (about 25 minutes). Stir as little as possible to avoid breaking up the squash. Gently (this is key) stir in coconut milk and sweet potato purée and return to simmer.

What you’ll have is a deliciously thick and chunky soup. You can lighten it to your heart’s content by simply adding water.

Bang pots, pans, and cupboard doors around. It’s important your family knows how hard you’re working in there. Then serve.

Nutrition boost: Toss the squash seeds with oil and your favourite herbs and spices, and then roast them in the oven. Easy, delicious, and nutritious.

Serves 8.

Each serving contains: 204 calories; 4 g protein; 6 g total fat (5 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 38 g total carbohydrates (8 g sugars, 4 g fibre); 333 mg sodium

source: "Lunch Ideas Kids Will Love!", alive #371, September 2013