Cheesy Broccoli & Winter Squash Soup ~ this time, "Cutting the Cheese" can be a good thing!

Cheesy Broccoli & Winter Squash Soup ~ Using cooked winter squash is such a tasty (and sneaky) way to amp up the veggie count & replace some of the cheese in this soup.  It gives the soup a wonderful thickness and richness, making it seem like there is much more cheese in the soup than there actually is. 

I love a traditional ~ Broccoli-Cheese Soup ~, but I'm not as fond of all the calories that can come along with it.  I decided there must be a better way.  When I came across a couple of boxes of frozen Cooked Winter Squash in my freezer, I knew what I was going to make, my own veggie packed spin.  I'm calling it my ~ Cheesy Broccoli & Winter Squash Soup.  I feel that it's a much more figure-friendly take on the usually high fat/calorie soup classic.

I've posted about cooking with frozen Cooked Winter Squash as a cheese replacer/extender in this previous post  ~ Creamy Macaroni & Four Cheeses.  I knew it worked well in that casserole, so I figured it would work in a soup, too.  Bingo!  The winter squash has such a vibrant orange color, that it blends in perfectly with the canned cheese soup.  It lends a velvety, thickness and richness ~ I bet you'll never even realize that you've cut down on the cheese and replaced it with a veggie.  The great thing about using the winter squash is that it helps to keep the soup lower fat and lower cal.  The broccoli gives the soup another layer of flavor and color.  I've already had a request for this soup again, so I know it's good.  :)  Enjoy!

Cheesy Broccoli & Winter Squash Soup
makes 4~5 bowls

Ingredients

• 1 can condensed Campbell's Fiesta Nacho Cheese Soup
• 2 boxes frozen ~ Cooked Winter Squash, thawed
• 2 cups cooked broccoli, roughly chopped (or more if desired)
• 1 soup can of fat free milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp chicken Better Than Bouillon (or your favorite kind of bouillon)
• dash hot sauce (or more, to taste)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• shredded cheese for sprinkling ~ optional
• extra milk/water for thinning to desired consistency ~ as desired

Directions

Place thawed Cooked Winter Squash, condensed soup and milk in a blender and blend until smooth. (add a little extra milk or water if needed to blend thoroughly)  Pour blended soup/squash mixture into a medium sauce pan, then add the cooked broccoli, water, bouillon and dash of hot sauce.  Stir until completely combined and heat through.  Add more water or milk, if needed, to thin soup to your desired level thickness. (Roy likes a really thick soup, so my recipe is on the thick side) ~ Serve soup with shredded cheese sprinkled on top, if you like.  Add salt/pepper to taste.