Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup

Serving size: 1/6 of recipe

Ingredients: 

• Tomatoes, petite, diced (14 ½ ounces) 
• Quinoa (1 cup) 
• Seasoning mix, fajita (1 packet) 
• Kidney beans (15 ¼ ounces) 
• Salt (a pinch) 
• Pepper (a pinch) 
• Butternut squash, small (1 piece) 
• Chicken broth, low sodium (5 cups) 
• Chicken breasts, skinless, boneless (1 ½ pounds) 
• Corn (15 ounces) 
• Garlic, minced (2 teaspoons) 
• Sour cream (a dollop)/ 
• parsley, fresh (1 tablespoon)/ 
• cheddar cheese, shredded (1 tablespoon) 

Directions: 

1. Drain away the fat in the chicken breasts. Cut the meat into one-inch cubes. Place in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Place quinoa in a sieve (fine mesh) and rinse. Place in a medium bowl and set aside.

3. After peeling and seeding the butternut squash, chop into one-inch cubes. Set aside in a medium bowl.

4. Rinse, then drain, the corn and kidney beans. Set aside in another bowl.

5. Use nonstick spray to lightly grease the slow cooker (6-quart). Pour in the reserved chicken cubes, quinoa, butternut squash cubes, corn, and kidney beans. Add the tomatoes (undrained) as well as the fajita seasoning and garlic.

6. Add the chicken broth. Stir the entire mixture until well-combined. Cover the slow cooker and set on high. Allow everything to cook for three to four hours.

7. Sprinkle pepper and salt on the soup. Serve garnished with fresh parsley.

8. Enjoy with a bit of fat-free sour cream.