Chicken Soup with Butternut Squash and Quinoa

The last two days have been so cold. I feel like it instantly changed from summer to late fall. I can't believe it is only October 8th and it is already 52 degrees out. I enjoy the cold weather though because of the fall fashion and getting to wear sweaters and boots and also because of the food. The food in the fall and winter is so warm and hearty, it is also so comforting.

I decided that I was going to use my left over roasted chicken from the night before to make soup. I always make chicken soup with carrots and potatoes but today I decided to try something new. Butternut squash is in season now and I love butternut squash soup so I decided to make a light chicken and butternut squash soup. I also wanted to add a grain in my soup to make it hearty to I choose quinoa to keep it light but filling.

Here is how I did it:

Chicken Soup with Butternut Squash and Quinoa

Ingredients: 
- 6 cups water
- 1 Chicken carcass (preferably roasted already)
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 1/2 pound butternut squash (peeled and cut)
- 2/3 quinoa
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2  tsp pepper
- 1/2 hot pepper

Place chicken carcass in a large saucepan and cover with 6 cups of water. Boil for 45 minutes until the chicken has fallen apart.

Once the chicken has fallen apart, remove from the broth and let it cool so that you can shred it. Place the broth in a separate bowl. Place the saucepan back on the stove and add 2 tbs olive oil. Chop up the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and cut your butternut squash into 1 1/2 inch in thickness. Place in the saucepan with the onions. 

Cover the onions and squash with the chicken broth and boil for 15-20 minutes until the squash is tender. Remove the squash and onions from the broth and place into a shallow dish. Smash the squash with the back of your fork. 

Place the squash back in the broth. Add the quinoa and cook for 12 minutes. Once the Quinoa is cooked, add the shredded chicken back in the broth and turn the heat off. Serve with chopped sun dried tomatoes. 

This soup is so sweet and velvety. It will definitely warm you up from the inside out! 

Anne