Non-Fat Butternut Squash Soup With Beans and Rice

The original recipe came from Martha Rose Shulman's cookbook Provencal Light, a collection of southern France lowfat recipes. I modified it so that it has no fat, and added white beans to the recipe to complete the protein. This soup is slightly sweet and very tasty.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 8 cups

Ingredients

• 1  large onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 -3  lbs  butternut squash, peeled and and diced
• 4  garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 2  quarts water or 2  quarts chicken broth or 2  quarts vegetable broth
• 2  bay leaves
• 1  teaspoon dried thyme
• 2⁄3 cup  short-grain brown rice
• 1  cup dried great northern beans, soaked overnight
•  salt and pepper
• 1  dash nutmeg
• 1  cup parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Soak the Great Northern beans overnight. Drain and rinse.
2. Combine the onion, squash, garlic, water, bay leaves, thyme, brown rice, and the soaked beans and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for about one hour.
3. When the beans are done and the squash is tender, place the soup into a food processor fitted with the metal blade and lightly puree. You will probably need to do this in two batches.
4. Return the soup to the pot. Taste and season with salt and pepper and a dash of nutmeg. Heat through. Add the chopped parsley just before serving.