Sweet, juicy apricots join with mildly nutty butternut squash and savory stew meat to create a wholesome soup packed with flavor and nutrients. Add your favorite combination of healthy vegetables, then simmer the ingredients in beef broth until the meat is tender. Finish the soup with your choice of seasonings.
Beef
Stew meat is a flavorful and inexpensive choice for your beef soup. Although the meat comes from tougher parts of the beef, it becomes tender and juicy with slow simmering. Avoid tender, more expensive cuts of beef, which may become dense and chewy as the soup simmers.
Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is a sweet, flavorful winter vegetable harvested in late summer or early autumn. Like all winter squash, ripe butternut squash has a tough outer rind. Avoid squash with a soft rind which indicates the squash was picked too early. Butternut squash is brimming with nutrients, including healthy amounts of beta carotene, potassium and fiber.
Apricots
Like butternut squash, apricots are rich in beta carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A. In addition, apricots provide fiber, vitamin C and potassium. Use fresh apricots if the fruits are in season. Otherwise, use dried apricots, which reconstitute as the soup simmers.
Liquid
Beef broth is the primary liquid in beef, squash and apricot soup. Canned beef broth is convenient and is available in low-fat and low-sodium varieties. Alternatively, use water or a blend of broth and water. For extra flavor, add a small amount of apricot juice or wine.
Add-Ins
Use a variety of vegetables and seasonings to add flavor to your soup. Carrots work well in the soup, or use chopped celery, onions, garlic, canned or frozen corn, stewed tomatoes or parsley. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in seasonings such as cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, or use more savory seasonings such as sage, thyme, rosemary or oregano.
References
- Taste of Home: Vegetable Beef Stew Recipe
- FoodNetwork.com; Beef and Butternut Squash Stew; Giada De Laurentiis; 2011
- FoodNetwork.ca.uk; Easy Apricot Squash Soup; 2011
- University of Illinois Extension; Winter Squash; 2011
- University of Minnesota Extension; Fruit Adventures;
- Iowa State University Extension; Reducing Meat in Cooked Ground Beef
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