Butternut Soup With Pears and Apples

Description: From Cooking Light. Per 1 cup serving: 117 calories, 2.2 g fat, 1.2 g protein, 25.5 g carb, 2.3 g fiber, 4 mg cholesterol.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter or 1 tablespoon margarine
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 4 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1 cup chopped peeled braeburn apple
• 1 cup chopped peeled Anjou pear
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup

Steps:

1. Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add in onion and celery; stir/saute for 4 minutes or until tender.
3. Add in squash and the next 8 ingredients; bring to a boil.
4. Partially cover, lower heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until tender.
5. Throw out bay leaf.
6. Transfer half of squash mixture to the container of a blender or food processor; process until smooth.
7. Pour puree into a bowl; repeat procedure with the remaining squash mixture.
8. Return all puree mixture to soup pot; stir in syrup.
9. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until well heated.
10. **Could use stick blender in soup pot instead of pureeing in blender.