As the weather turns cold I like to make hearty (=big, with lots of vegetables) soups to keep us warm! Squash soup is my latest discovery – it’s delicious (=yummy, tasty) ! Why not cook in English and expand your vocabulary while preparing a treat for the family?
Level: A2 and above
Pumpkin/Squash soup
Carrots, squash and sweet potato combine to make a healthy and colorful soup, which you can especially enjoy during the fall.
TOTAL TIME: Prep: 15 min. Cook: 20 min.
MAKES: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 cups cubed (=cut into small cubes) peeled (=take the outer skin off) butternut squash (a light yellow, long squash)
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 3 medium carrots, sliced (=cut into thin, flat pieces)
- 1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
- 3 cups fat-free milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons reduced-fat (=having very little fat) sour cream (=thick cream)
- 2 tablespoons minced (=cut or smashed into very small pieces) chives (=a green herb)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
Directions
- Place (=put) the squash, sweet potato and carrots in a steamer basket (=a deep pot with small holes in it in which you can cook vegetables in hot steam); place in a large saucepan over 1 in. (=inch, about 2 cms) of water. Bring to a boil (=cook until the water starts boiling/making bubbles); cover and steam (=cook in hot steam) for 12-16 minutes or until tender. Cool slightly. Transfer to a food processor (=a machine used to process food, e.g., cut, blend, mix); add juice concentrate. Cover and process until smooth (=it has no big pieces in it)).
- Transfer to a large saucepan (=a deep, round pot); stir in the milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir (=use a spoon to make the mixture move in the pot) over low heat until heated through (do not boil). Top each serving with 1-1/2 teaspoons sour cream, 1 teaspoon chives and 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds. Yield (=makes): 6 servings.
Originally published as Pretty Autumn Soup in Healthy Cooking August/September 2009, p36
Images courtesy of tiramisustudio, Bill Longshaw, and SOMMAI at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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