Butternut Squash Soup (for two)

Fall is my favorite season by a long shot -- pumpkin, football, perfect temps, apples, spices, sweaters, boots and I could go on and on.  On Labor Day, it felt like mid-October and I was loving it.  I purchased my first pumpkin spice latte (my Starbucks got the Pumpkin Spice a week early -- wahoo!), bought my first can of pumpkin and made this amazing soup.

This is my favorite time of year to bake so hopefully you are ready for lots of fall treats!

A few notes:  

- You could definitely use your standard potato in place of the sweet potato.

- I added the applesauce on a whim and LOVED this addition.  Once again, its completely optional.

- After using evaporated milk in this recipe, I think you could really use whatever milk you prefer (skim, whole, almond, etc).

Butternut Squash Soup
Yields:  2 servings
Prep Time:  15 minutes, Cook Time:  20 minutes

Ingredients
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 tablespoon butter
3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (I used one squash)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of Pepper
Dash of Nutmeg, to taste
1/4 cup non-fat evaporated milk
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce (optional)

Directions
Peel and cube butternut squash, removing the seeds and pulp.  Peel and cube sweet potato.

In a small saucepan on low-medium heat, saute onion in butter until tender.  Turn heat up to medium and add squash and potato.  Stir and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the water, bouillon, salt and pepper; turn heat up to high and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Remove from heat and cool slightly.  Add the mixture to a blender; cover and process the soup until smooth.  Return to the pan; stir in nutmeg, milk and applesauce and heat through.