Chinese Five-Spice Acorn Squash Soup

This is recipe number 2 from Joe's Valentine's Day dinner. I planned to make a fairly healthy soup full of that beta-carotene goodness, and the acorn squash was looking mighty good at the grocery store. The end result was a super-easy, super-creamy soup without the calories that come from cream.

One thing we noted is that the five-spice powder ingredients contain cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon, which all turn bitter with long cooking. If you know you'll be warming the soup for a long time - we were serving it a few courses down the road - add the spice near the end.

Joe's Valentines' Day Dinner

Ingredients

2 large acorn squashes

2 tsp garlic powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

6 oz. fat-free cream cheese

2 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder

1/3 cup chopped pecans

2 tbsp chopped chives

Instructions

Cut the squashes in half and scoop out the seeds. Place cut-side down on a plate, and microwave for 8-10 minutes, or until tender. Let cool until they are easier to handle.

Heat a saucepan to high and and throw in the pecans. Shake and cook until the nuts are slightly golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and put in a bowl so they don't cook any further in the pan.

Puree the squash, garlic powder, salt and pepper, broth, and cream cheese in a blender. Pour into the pan and heat to a simmer. Stir in the five-spice powder, then heat through. 

Serve in bowls topped with the pecans and chives.

Serves 4-6.