I am thrilled to share this recipe I designed for Lazarus House Ministries in Lawrence, MA! Lazarus House Ministries is a place where people in the Merrimack Valley facing poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity can choose to go for services, guidance, and support. The staff take great care of their constituents and work hard on providing culturally-appropriate nutritious meals! It's been an honor to partner with Lazarus House Ministries to help design nutritious Latinx meals for their guests.
“Calabaza” is a tropical squash with a mild sweet and nutty taste, similar to butternut squash and acorn squash. It is used in Caribbean recipes and may be found in sweet and savory meals. Calabaza is a great source of dietary fiber and vitamins A and C, which are important for healthy eyes, a healthy immune system, wound healing, and overall health. This soup can be prepared in under an hour with whichever white beans you have access to - white kidney beans, great northern beans, navy beans, or cannellini beans. It makes a warming side to a meal or the main event.
Servings: 6 servings
Serving Size: 2 cups
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients: 2 ½ pounds calabaza (or butternut squash or acorn squash), seeded and peeled 2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large apple, chopped with peel
½ large white onion, chopped
1 can (15.5 ounces) white beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (12 fluid ounces) evaporated milk
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon granulated sugar (optional) Directions:
1. Cut calabaza squash into medium chunks. In a large pot, steam or boil calabaza over medium-high heat until tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off heat, drain calabaza, and set aside.
2. In the same pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add apple and onion, stirring constantly about 10 minutes until soft. Add calabaza to cooked apple and onion mixture.
3. Using a blender, food processor or immersion blender, and working in batches as needed, blend calabaza and apple mixture until smooth. You can also use a potato masher instead to mash well.
4. Place blended or mashed mixture back into large saucepan. Stir in beans, evaporated milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper, sugar (optional). Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until just boiling.
5. Serve warm in a bowl with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Nutrition Facts:
Serving size: 2 cups
Calories: 279 | Total Fat: 10 g |
Saturated Fat: 4 g | Cholesterol: 18 mg |
Sodium: 270 mg | Total Carbs: 40 g |
Dietary Fiber: 5 g | Sugars: 8 g | Protein: 12 g
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