Stretching our money as far as possible, while still eating well, can be difficult. Food just gets more and more expensive every day. But we don’t have to cut corners to still be FI, eat some really great food, and keep our health and finances in check. Soup is one of our favorite go-to options that meet all of our recipe requirements. Especially when it is cold outside!In our house, we have five kids, so our food budget is a big part of our monthly expenses. However, we have been doing well over the past couple of years to keep the food and alcohol budget down to $800 a month. Of course, we would like to go lower than that and make an effort every month to go as low as possible.
Servings: 4
Calories: 189kcal
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash peeled, de-seeded, large dice, rough chop
- 4 shallots dice into large pieces
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 sprigs thyme fresh if possible
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds for garnish
- ½ oz arugula to garnish
Instructions
- Peel the butternut squash and chop into larger chunks. Make sure to fully de-seed the squash, prior to use.
- Dice the shallots and mince the garlic. Put olive oil in a pan and heat to Medium heat. Add shallots and ¼ tsp of salt to pan.
- Sweat down for approximately 3 minutes. Don’t let the shallots brown. Keep a good eye on their color.
- Add roughly chopped butternut squash to pan with the shallots and garlic. Cook for approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Add the thyme, smoked paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg, and remaining salt. Stir in thoroughly.
- Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds on Medium heat, or until garlic is fragrant.
- Add vegetable broth and bay leaves. Turn the heat up to High, in order to reach a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce to Low heat and simmer for approximately 25 minutes until the squash is tender. Remove thyme stems and bay leaves.
- Pour soup into a blender or food processor. You may also use an immersion blender if you have one. Blend until smooth. Add extra salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
- Pour into cups or bowls. Garnish with Arugula and Pomegranate seeds. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
With this recipe you not only get to enjoy some great food, that doesn’t take you very long to make, but you also get to stick to your FI lifestyle. I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t ask for anything better!
Nutrition
Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 1243mg | Potassium: 795mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 20618IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
