Healthy doesn't have to mean bland. A nutrient biologist shares a recipe from his new cookbook for fit foodies.
According to Q Advisory Board Member John Berardi, Ph.D, there's no reason why you can't live a healthy lifestyle and still maintain your foodie status. As the founder of Precision Nutrition, a nutritional coaching and education program, Berardi knows what it takes to fuel a fit body, and now with the company's new cookbook, Gourmet Nutrition, he's showing you how to make it taste good, too. Here, he shares one of the 100 recipes from the pages: a winter-perfect squash soup. "Squash has recently become known as one of the healthiest vegetables," he says, "it's high in fiber and has a good profile of antioxidants. In this soup we pair the butternut variety with a host of spices and turkey to create an awesome flavor blend."
Get the recipe below or print the pdf and take it with you.
Roasted Squash and Turkey Soup
(Serves 4 large or 8 small)
Ingredients:
Soup Base
1 tbsp. coconut oil or butter
5 c. butternut squash (peeled and roughly chopped)
1 c. onion (rough chopped)
1 tbsp. ginger root (grated or chopped)
1 tbsp. fresh garlic (minced)
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. nutmeg
5 c. vegetable stock
1 c. water
Soup Garnish
1 lb 10 oz (740 g) ground turkey
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
Olive oil cooking spray
¼ c. cilantro (chopped)
Directions:
Soup Base
1. Preheat a large pot on medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil, then the squash and sauté until lightly browned.
2.Add onion, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg and 2 tablespoons of stock, and sauté for 2 minutes more, stirring constantly.
3. Add the remaining vegetable stock and water to the pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer until squash is soft (approximately 30 minutes).
4. Let mixture cool for a few minutes, then puree with a blender or food processor until smooth and pour back into the pot. Remove from heat.
Soup Garnish
1. Season the turkey with salt and pepper.
2. Preheat a large nonstick frying pan on medium heat and lightly coat with spray.
3. Sauté turkey until lightly browned and completely cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside.
4. Add the cooked turkey and chopped cilantro to the soup base. Reheat and serve immediately or portion the soup into storage containers. *Tip: To maintain the tenderness of the meat avoid bringing the soup to a boil after the meat has been added.
Hungry for more? See all of our healthy recipes.