SPICY BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH BLACK BEANS, RED BELL PEPPER, A

Spicy Butternut Squash Soup With Black Beans, Red Bell Pepper, A image

Provided by zeldaz51

Time 1h50m

Yield 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 large butternut squash (about 1.5 lbs.)
salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onions
2 cups finely chopped celery
6 garlic cloves, finely minced (about 1 T minced garlic)
6 cups vegetable stock (or slightly more, if you'd like a thinner soup) or 6 cups canned vegetable broth (or slightly more, if you'd like a thinner soup)
2 teaspoons ground cumin (or more)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped small
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (plus more to garnish soup if desired)
1 -2 tablespoon Tabasco jalapeno sauce (or other jalapeno hot sauce of your choice)
low-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (to garnish)
lime wedge (optional)
tortilla chips (optional)

Steps:

Preheat oven or toasted oven to 400F/200°C Cut butternut squash in half and use a sharp spoon to scoop out seeds. Place squash on a baking sheet and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Roast squash until it is soft enough to pierce easily with a fork, and starting to slightly brown, about 50-60 minutes. Let squash cool enough to handle.
While squash is roasting, chop onion and celery and mince the garlic. Heat olive oil in large non-stick soup pot and saute onions and celery until they're soft, about 7 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 2-3 minutes more. Add 2 cups of vegetable broth and simmer the mixture about 10 minutes.
As soon as the squash has cooled enough to handle, scrape the flesh away with the skin and mix it with the other 4 cups of broth and the ground cumin. Add this mixture to the soup pot and simmer about 20 minutes; then use an immersion blender to puree the soup.
While the soup simmers, rinse the black beans well with cold water and let them drain in a colander. Chop the cilantro and red bell pepper. After you're pureed the soup add the beans, red bell pepper, and cilantro and simmer about 15-20 minutes more, adding a little more stock if you'd like a thinner soup. Stir in the Green Tabasco Sauce to taste and serve hot, garnished with low-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, lime wedges, and tortilla chips if desired.