As winter slowly and painfully winds to a close, here is a recipe sure to warm you as you dream of spring. Everyone loves a nice hot baked potato, and even more so when it is in soup form. I love baked potato soup because it is a great use of a cheap yet healthy staple food, and it is so darn tasty.
The problem lies in the cream. Most baked potato soups either at a restaurant or in grandma’s kitchen rely on heavy creams, dairy, and lots of salt. This creates a dish which delights the taste buds, but not so much the waistline. Excess sodium and fats are terrible for heart health as well as overall health.
So how do you get the creamy taste and filling nature of potato soup without the extra day’s worth of calories? Simple, sneak extra fiber in place of the cream to thicken and add layers of flavor. If you must add in some dairy, try using skim or 1% rather than whole milk or cream. But this recipe makes a soup so thick and tasty you may not even notice it isn’t there.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cooked mashed acorn squash
- 1 pound potatoes, diced (peeled if desired)
- 1 cup red lentils (or brown)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2-3 strips bacon (optional)
- Cheddar cheese & green onion for garnish (optional)
Step 1: If you haven’t already, cook the acorn squash. Cook the lentils by adding 1 cup to 2 cups water, and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Dice the potatoes and add to a pot of boiling water. Boil for 8-10 minutes, until soft when poked with a fork. Drain.
Step 2: In a large bowl, combine the potato, cooked lentils and squash. Add the stock, and bring to a boil. Pour into a blender, and blend on high until combined.
Step 3: Mix in the nutritional yeast, and pour into bowls. If you wish, season with salt & pepper, or add bacon bits, cheddar cheese, and or chives as garnish.
This soup is super satisfying, and tastes just like a baked potato. No one will suspect you’ve given it a huge boost of fiber and vitamins while simultaneously removing the biggest source of fats. The blended lentils and squash keeps the thick, creamy base of the soup which previously the dairy caused.
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