Rosemary Apple Chicken Soup with Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is a popular winter squash that is sweet and nutty and full of beta carotene.  It is wonderful steamed and served with butter or turned into a soup.

This is a quick soup which combines leftovers of both steamed butternut squash and Rosemary Apple Chicken.

Last weekend I made the Rosemary Apple Chicken for the first time. We ate half of it and refrigerated the rest of it in the pyrex dish that it was cooked  in. The next day I wanted something hot and quick. I took out the chicken dish, took the chicken off the bones and put it in a pot with the apple/balsamic vinegar chicken broth from the bottom of the dish.  I added leftover steamed butternut squash to the pot, heated it through and voila! - a hot bowl of yummy seasonal soup.

Joanne Levesque RHN

Registered Holistic Nutritionist

leftover Rosemary Apple Chicken

leftover steamed butternut squash

Take chicken off the bones, cut in bite size pieces and add to a medium sized pot. Add leftover apple, vinegar, broth mixture from the bottom of the chicken dish. Add leftover cubed steamed butternut squash.   Simmer on medium for a few minutes and serve.

If you like your soup with more broth, place the chicken bones and carcass in a separate pot with about 2 to 3 cups of water.  Simmer for about 15 minutes, strain then add broth to the soup.

Steamed Vegetable Salad

Salads can get sort of boring in the winter as other than onions, there is not anything seasonal to put on them.  They are also too cold for a chilly night.  So how is one to enjoy leafy greens on a cold winter night?  Solution - make it warm!

For years, my chef husband and I have topped our winter salads with steamed broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and butternut squash.  Our favourite dressing is a simple dressing made of fresh squeezed lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, dijon mustard and a little Braggs All Liquid seasoning.  Top that with cayenne pepper and you have yourself a warm delicious salad as a prelude to your main meal. 

You can also make this salad your main meal if you top in with a protein source such as salmon, chicken, eggs or even giant lima beans or cannellini beans.

                                                                                                                                 Joanne Levesque, Registered Holistic Nutritionist

 Pure Med Office Manager

 Serves 1

Salad 2 to 3 cups of mixed salad greens (spinach, arugula, romaine etc.) 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped red onion (optional) 1/2 avocado cut in chunks Place ingredients in a large bowl. Vegetables 1/2 cup broccoli flowerettes and peeled stems 1/2 cup cauliflower, cut in bite sized pieces 1/2 cup chopped cabbage 1/2 cup cubed butternut squash Steam vegetables until just done.  Dressing 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

  3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

  1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  1 teaspoon Bragg All Purpose Seasoning (find in health food stores and in Loblaws Natural Value section)

  Shake ingredients together in a jar.

Assembly

Top salad greens with steamed vegetables.  Drizzle dressing over vegetables and salad.  Season with cayenne pepper, sea salt and fresh ground pepper.  Optional:  top with fish, chicken, soft boiled eggs or beans for a complete meal.