Wendy's Energy Soup

This soup was inspired by recipes from Bethanny Frankel, author of Naturally Thin, and Jackie Wicks, owner of the website http://www.peertrainer.com/.  I made it in large batches and ate it for lunch or dinner as I lost weight.  The more I ate, the more weight I lost!  I'm sure it is due to the extrememly high nutrient content, but low calorie content.  Everyone in my family loves it! Be warned, once you have a bowl of this, you may not have room in your tummy for much else . . .

(2 1/2 cups = 1 Weight Watchers point)

1 very large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves if garlic, smashed
2 Tbsp olive oil
8 cups vegetable broth (2 boxes)
6 medium sized zucchini, cut into cubes
1 package mushrooms, cut into chunks if mushrooms are large
1 bag fresh spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
Other seasoning to taste
12 ounces frozen butternut squash, defrosted

Saute the onion in a large soup pot in the olive oil, until translucent and slightly soft. Add garlic and sautee for a few more minutes. Add the broth, zucchini, and mushrooms. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes or zucchini are soft. Stir in fresh spinach, it will wilt immediately.


Using a hand (immersion) blender, puree the onion-garlic-zucchini-mushroom-spinach mixture until smooth. Add the defrosted butternut squash. Season with salt and pepper and ANY other seasonings you like, to taste. (I like something with a little heat like cayenne pepper.)