A Twist on a Bean Soup

Fall harvest vegetables abound as Thanksgiving approaches and the leaves fall from the trees. Once it starts getting colder and darker, I like many, crave soup! Here is a really nutritious, filling soup inspired by Eating Well's Amazon Bean Soup. I substituted a butternut squash(much easier to find than the one they call for), and also in place of spinach, I use red chard - though you can use kale or any other green you like. Beware that butternut squash are difficult to cut. Make sure you have a sharp chef's knife. Read on and feel free to change out ingredients as you like!

Butternut Squash and Bean Soup

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

4 garlic cloves minced

1 onion chopped

6 cups vegetable or chicken broth or 4 cups and 2 cups water

3 cups butternut squash chopped(be careful)

1 medium tomato

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp salt, possibly more to taste

fresh ground pepper

1/4 tsp of dried or fresh chopped sage

1 can white beans(Northern or Cannellini),

1 can kidney beans rinsed

Bunch of chard chopped, stems removed

1 lime cut in wedges

Melt butter in large soup pot(or oil). Add gardlic, carrots and onion and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes. Add broth and scrape up bits with spoon. Add squash, tomato, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

With a stick blender if you have it, blend the soup a few times using caution as liquid is hot. Stir in beans and greens and cook on medium until beans are heated through and greens are wilted. Serve with lime wedges.