Squash adds texture, flavor to vegetable soup

Each year I start getting the calls: “I just gained (this many) pounds over the holidays. Help! Do you have any dishes to help me shed these unwanted pounds?”

This soup is one of my most requested recipes because it works. But this year I have added an ingredient that is also a dieter’s friend: spaghetti squash. Low in calories with lots of texture, just bake up the spaghetti squash, seed it and have the squash ready to go for dishes that taste delicious. You can saute it with olive oil, garlic and a bit of Parmesan cheese for a savory side dish. You can use it in place of pasta (I love it as a bed for turkey Bolognese or a simple marinara sauce). It’s great with eggs and in frittatas. You’ll probably come up with your own dishes, once you try it.

Spaghetti squash tastes so good in this wintery soup. Sometimes I double this soup recipe so it will last a few days or so. I like it for lunch and dinner. I don’t feel deprived, because it is so flavorful and satisfying. And best of all, I can step on the scale a few days later and know I have conquered those extra pounds.

Diced vegetables in a fragrant broth are always delicious, but another variation is to puree the soup and transform it into a creamy potage. Sometimes I will even divide the soup in half and serve the diced vegetables in one half of the bowl and the creamy puree in the other half for a pretty presentation. The soup becomes an entirely new experience when pureed. You can completely puree it or partially puree it, leaving some texture and color in the soup.

If you bake the spaghetti squash ahead, this colorful vegetable soup is simple to prepare since you need only to cut up the carrots, zucchini and butternut squash. To save even more time, look for pre-peeled and cut-up butternut squash at your market.

To enrich the broth, I add a rind of Parmesan cheese to the soup while it is simmering. Leeks are my preference for their rich oniony flavor.

Garbanzo beans add an underlying earthy flavor and act as a natural thickener for the pureed version. Fully cooked garbanzos are added for just a few minutes before the soup is pureed to keep their texture intact. To dress this up consider adding a dollop of basil or sun-dried tomato pesto. Or if you’re really being good, just garnish with fresh herbs and a light sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

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January Vegetable Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 leeks, light green part and white parts only, cleaned and finely chopped

4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice

4 zucchini, cut into 1-inch dice

1 pound peeled and cut into 1-inch dice butternut squash

1 teaspoon favorite seasoning salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 ¹/₂ cups diced tomatoes with juice

6 cups vegetable or chicken broth

Rind of Parmesan cheese

1 pound cooked spaghetti Squash (recipe follows)

1 ¹/₂ cups cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley or basil

¹/₂ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

To cook the squash, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 1 medium spaghetti squash on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake squash for 30 minutes and then turn over and continue baking another 25 minutes or until soft when pierced with a knife.

Cool squash. Cut squash in half, remove seeds and discard. Scoop out the squash and place in an airtight container until using. This will last five days in the refrigerator.

For the soup, in a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and saute for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the carrots, zucchini, squash and seasoning salt. Saute for about 3 more minutes, or until mixed well and beginning to soften. Add the garlic and saute another minute.

Add the tomatoes, broth and Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Partially cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add the cooked spaghetti squash and garbanzo beans and cook another 5 minutes, or until heated through. Add the salt and pepper. Add the parsley or basil. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Remove the Parmesan rind.

To serve, ladle the soup into shallow soup bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese. Serves 6.

Per serving: 99 calories; 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat; 36 percent calories from fat); 15 g carbohydrates; 1 g sugar; 35 mg cholesterol; 398 mg sodium; 3 g protein; 4 g fiber.