It’s only the first week into the new year and is anyone else about to jump off their resolutions head first into a drained pool?

me me me me.

actually i made mine pretty easy this year. or perhaps more attainable, if you will. can’t set the goals too high or else i’ll hit rock bottom really fast. i took what i had / or was already doing, and decided whatever it was just needed a lil bit of the ol’ elbow grease, nothing too extreme. gotta work with what yo mama gave you sort of dill.

unless of course, i win the lottery. all bets off. go big or go home.

one of my goals was to stop hushing my thoughts, or playing them down. if that makes any sense? my mind races, A LOT, all different things, super ADD. so instead of totally disregarding all of my ideas/thoughts/intuitions, whatever it is at the moment, I decided that i need to embrace each individual thought or at the very least, write the thought down, and this way, if the thought happens to come full circle, I should dig a little bit deeper instead of forcing it straight into the waste bin. this actually has allowed for better sleep as my mind is starting to calm down since all of my thoughts are on paper and I don’t have to keep reminding myself of an idea, or whatever it is i’m trying to not forget.

good lawd. she cray.

((also read: big magic. as i shared in my favorite things post. so helpful))

another big thing was to continue to embrace health, inside & out. i want to be more aware of what is going into my body, as it is a GIFT and not everyone gets a chance to age, so i should treat my one shot with respect and gratitude. i’ve had a lot happen to me over  the last couple of years (yucky relationship, divorce, other struggles, etc.  when i first started the blog, however i never fully unraveled all the bloody deets because of court hearings). my biggest fear, and i assume will be a forever fear, is what would happen to my son if i left this life.

-oh snap she just went rullllll dark-

so therefore i want to take care of myself. to the best of my ability. the rest is out of my control. i just need to trust.

she done yet? i’m hungry.

-she done-

so this is where the healthier recipe bit comes into play. rich in flavor, light in the rest. Healthy Butternut Squash & White Bean Chili. Its veg. but you can add meat. i did after the photos because i’m a meataholic. which is sorta gross when said outloud.

Recipe notes:

Make sure you have a good blender. Or half decent. Or just make sure your squash is cooked once you pulse it so you can get the naturally creamy texture. Seriously. You’d think that butternut squash has heavy cream in it.

Parmesan rinds are the best. Because they just add flavor without all of the extra fat content from the cheese. Making it still mostly dairy free….. The BF was able to digest this with no problems and his stomach is the worrrrrrrsssssst. Sorry P.

not sorry at all.

i added ground italian sausage (duh) after i created the vegetarian version. because i love meat. but it doesn’t need it. but i love it. but it really doesn’t need it. but i really really really love sausage. so add some if you love it toosy.

you can totally serve this like you would a chili bar, so bring on the chips, the greek yogurt (or sour cream), cilantro and optional cheese if you will. salt & pepper to each their own.

did i mention there are only 233 calories per two cup serving? two cups actually is filling for this soup. So splurge and do 4 cups and you’ll STILL be under 500 calories. WHOA. Or load up on the chips and extra toppings to make it more decadent. that’s what i did :):):)

5.0 from 1 reviews

Healthy Butternut Squash & White Bean Chili

 

Author: Julia Calleo

Nutrition Information

• Serves: 4-6

• Serving size: 2 cups
• Calories: 233

• Fat: 6.8g
• Carbohydrates: 37.1g
• Fiber: 9.6g
• Protein: 8.6g

Recipe type: Chili

Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  1 hour

Total time:  1 hour 15 mins

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A spin on chili made with butternut squash as a base and white beans makes for a creamy chili without the extra fat but with extra flavor. Vegetarian & gluten free!

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp ghee (or unsalted butter)
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 4-5 cups)
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 cans Cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
• 5 parmesan rinds
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• Optional Toppings:
• plain greek yogurt
• fresh cilantro
• tortilla chips
• salt & pepper

Instructions

1. First in a heavy bottom pot or dutch oven, on your stove top over medium heat, add your ghee or fat you plan on using.
2. Let it melt and heat for an additional 20 seconds. Add your garlic. Saute until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
3. Add your onions and cook until just translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Next add your butternut squash cubes, mix and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
5. Add your broth, bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer for about 20 minutes or until squash is fork tender.
6. Once squash is tender, working in batches, add your soup to the blender and blend until smooth. Continue to do this until all of the soup is blended.
7. Return blended soup back into heavy pot and bring heat up to medium low.
8. Add the garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper and kosher salt. Mix.
9. Add your rinsed Cannellini (white beans), parmesan rinds & fresh rosemary springs. stir together.
10. Return heat to low and allow soup to cook for an additional 30 minutes. This will allow flavors to blend more evenly through out and beans will soak up more flavor. You may continue to simmer this soup, stirring occasionally, if you have guests over. The longer it simmers/sits together, the more powerful the flavor!
11. Once ready to eat, remove the rinds & fresh rosemary sprigs.
12. Serve soup evenly into bowls and top with optional toppings such as greek yogurt, cilantro, salt & pepper. Chips on the side are a bonus and make this more fun, though aren't necessary.

3.5.3226

****ALSO: i have a stop motion version of this that i posted on instagram. but if you don’t gram you can watch it on here as it’s a little more hands onnnny.