Butternut Squash Soup with Toasted Walnuts

I had to get a cavity filled today - it's my first one, but I guess even health-conscious vegans need fillings sometimes! Anyway, it made it seem like a good night for soup.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat the foil with cooking spray. Place 4 cups chopped and peeled butternut squash, 3/4 tsp. olive oil, a dash of salt and a dash of pepper on the baking sheet and toss to combine. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 45 minutes until the squash is tender. (Note: buying pre-chopped butternut squash saves a lot of time here - check the produce section of your grocery store!)

Place the squash in a blender along with two cups plain soy milk (such as Silk) and 7 ounces of vegetable broth. Blend until smooth and transfer to a large saucepan. Do this in two batches if your blender is small.

Heat over medium heat for 5 minutes until thoroughly heated (but don't bring to a boil). Add a 1/4 tsp. salt and another dash of black pepper.

Meanwhile, toast 2 tablespoons of walnuts in a small saucepan over medium heat for one to two minutes, stirring or tossing pretty frequently so they don't burn - they're done when you begin to smell their aroma. Don't chop the walnuts until after they're toasted, if you use this method.

Ladle one cup of soup into each of four bowls and top each serving with a teaspoon and a half of the toasted walnuts, for four servings of 210 calories.

Cost:
butternut squash $3.26
soy milk $2.49
vegetable broth $1.29
walnuts $5.49