Squash Soup with Turkey Meatballs

For the Soup
3 cups carrots, diced
3 cups celery, diced
2 medium Vidallia onions, diced
1 medium butternut squash
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups kitchen basics no salt added chicken stock
1/2 cup apple cider
S&P

For the Turkey Meatballs
1 lb. 93% lean ground turkey
1 medium Vidallia onion
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmet
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 medium eggs
1 cup plain bread crumbs

For the Croutons
8 slices 12 grain bread
Olive oil spray
garlic powder
S&P

1. Heat the oven to 400F
2. Place the squash in a pie plate
3. Place the carrots and celery in a casserole dish with 1/2 cup of water.
4. Roast both until they are tender about 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

Meatballs
1. Mix all of the meatball ingredients together and roll into bite sized balls.
2. Place them on a 1/2 sheet pan and bake until browned - about 1/2 hour.

Croutons
1. Spray a 1/2 sheet pan with olive oil
2. Cut the bread into bite sized pieces place on the pan
3. Spray the bread with more olive oil and dust with Garlic Powder, S&P
4. Bake until browned - about 15 minutes

When the squash is cool enough to handle cut it in half, scoop out the seeds - rinse and toast if you like.
Scoop the meat of the squash out of the shell and set aside.

Assembling the soup
In a large heavy bottom pot
1. Caramelize the onion in a little Olive oil
2. Add the remaining ingredients for the soup and simmer for about 1/2 an hour or until the sharpness from the cider is cooked out.
3. Using a food mill, in small batches, puree the soup and return to the pot.
4. Add the hot meatballs.
5. Top with the croutons and serve.

Serving Size: Makes twelve 3 cup servings

Number of Servings: 12

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user DAZYMAE3.