Autumn Soup.

photo credit: cooking light

Autumn Soup from Kristen:

1 T butter

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 carrots, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

6 cups chicken broth

3 pounds squash, peeled & diced (6 cups)

1 plum tomato, chopped

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 15 oz cans pinto beans, rinsed

10 oz. spinach, stemmed and coarsely chopped

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add garlic, carrots and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned, 5-7 minutes. Add broth and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add squash, tomato and spices and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the squash is very soft and almost breaking apart, about 20 minutes. Transfer 3 cups of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return the pureed soup to the pots. Stir in beans and spinach and cook over medium heat until the beans are heated through and the spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Serve with lime wedges.