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 (1¼ 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

¼ teaspoon dried basil leaves

2 cans (14 ounces each) chicken broth

¼ cup half-and-half

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon white or black pepper

Preparation

1. 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.


2. 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.


3. 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.


4. 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.