Cooking on a student budget frequently falls short of gourmet cuisine. But the routine of Easy Mac, Ramen, and takeout from Andrea's can get quite tedious, not to mention rather unhealthy.
In this bi-weekly series, the Daily will combat this meal monotony with easy, healthy - and most importantly, cheap - recipes for off-campus cuisine.
What's better to combat the winter cold than a bowl of warm homemade soup?
These two soups - zucchini and squash - are packed with nutrients, very low in calories and fat, and can be stored as leftovers for a long time in your fridge or freezer.
Even better, the entire cost of the ingredients to make six dinner servings is only $7.50 at Shaw's-the same cost as a container of sushi at the campus center.
The squash soup is heartier and slightly sweeter, but requires a bit of a time commitment.
The zucchini soup is light and quick to prepare - perfect for students in a rush.
Whichever soup you choose, be prepared for curious housemates to poke their heads into the kitchen, as aromas from both will quickly fill your home and make you seem like a master chef.
Ingredients:
1 whole butternut squash (or 6 to 8 whole zucchini)
1 large sweet onion
2 cans of chicken or vegetable broth
2 garlic cloves
Makes 5 to 6 dinner size servings
Squash Soup Preparation (Prep time = 45 minutes):
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut whole squash in half and scoop out seeds. (An easier, though slightly more expensive option is to purchase 2 pre-peeled butternut squash halves available in the produce section of the supermarket instead.) Coat meaty part of squash with cooking spray or butter and place this side down on tray. Cook in oven for 30 minutes or until tender. Chop up onion and cook in large pot (coated with cooking spray) on stove over medium heat until slightly browned, stirring occasionally. Scoop out squash and add to onions. Make sure not to add any of the squash skin to the pot. Add peeled and chopped garlic cloves as well as chicken broth to the pot. Let simmer on stove for about 10 minutes or until all squash is fully tender, stirring periodically. Blend contents of pot in blender until smooth. Serve with salt and pepper and parmesan cheese. A sprig of basil can be added as an optional garnish.
Zucchini Soup Preparation (Prep time = 15 minutes):
Chop onion and cook in large pot (coated with cooking spray) on stove over medium heat for around 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Wash zucchini and chop into small pieces. Add zucchini to onions. Let cook for around 10 minutes or until all zucchini is tender, stirring periodically. Add chicken broth and peeled and chopped garlic to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Blend contents of pot in blender until smooth. Serve with salt and pepper and parmesan cheese.
