Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup

A healthy soup to warm your cold winter days! Made with seasonal ingredients like butternut squash, onions, and couscous. Seasoned with coriander, ginger, salt & pepper, thyme, parsley, and garlic. Add in some roasted pistachios, cannellini beans, and chickpeas. This makes a wonderful meal.

Ingredients:

1 tsp. ground coriander
1 piece fresh ginger
kosher salt
Pepper
1 small onion
1 small butternut squash
2 clove garlic
6 sprig fresh thyme
1/2 cup couscous
1/4 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup roasted pistachios
1 scallion
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 can cannellini beans
1 can chickpeas

Materials:

• Slow Cooker
• Whisk
• Knife
• Cutting Board
• Measuring Cup
• Measuring Spoon
• Bowl

Directions:

1.  In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, whisk together the coriander, ginger, 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add the onion, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook, covered, until the squash is tender, 3 hours on high or 5 hours on low.
2.  Twenty minutes before serving, place the couscous in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/4 cups hot tap water, cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and fold in the apricots, pistachios, scallion, parsley, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
3.  In a medium bowl, mash half the cannellini beans with a fork until smooth. If the slow cooker is on low, turn it to high and stir in the mashed beans, then add the remaining beans and chickpeas and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the couscous mixture.

While you are enjoying your soup, why not take a peek at the following books?