Yummy soup to try now that the weather has gotten cold... healthy too!

After having seasonably warm weather on Christmas day, it is finally feeling like winter.... 18 degrees when I woke up the other morning.  Here is a perfect recipe to try on those cold nights.  I also love that it can be frozen for a future dinner.

Autumn Vegetable Soup

Serves 6-8 as a starter; 4 as main course

2T olive oil

3 medium carrots, medium dice

1 large yellow onion, medium dice

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

2C 1/2 inch cubed and peeled butternut squash ~half a 2# squash

1/4 t ground allspice

pinch cayenne pepper or more to taste

kosher salt

1 Quart low salt chicken broth *I use veggie broth*

1 14.5 oz can no salt added diced tomatoes

4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 C lightly packed, coarsely chopped kale *I sometimes sub with spinach*

1 C low salt canned chickpeas

Heat the oil over med-high heat. Add the carrots and onion and cook until they begin to soften, about 6 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 min. more.  

Add the squash, allspice, cayenne and 1 t salt and stir to combine.  Add 

the broth, tomatoes with their juice and thyme.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the kale and chickpeas and cook uncovered unitl the squash is tender and the kale has wilted, about 10 minutes more.  Discard the thyme sprigs before  serving.  Season to taste with s/p and more cayenne.

Refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze for 2 months.

From Fine Cooking Recipes, Sept. 2009