Moroccan Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup

From Cooking Light – Jan/Feb 2012

photo courtesy of Cooking Light

Ingredients

·         1 tablespoon olive oil

·         1 cup chopped onion

·         3 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

·         1 teaspoon ground cumin

·         1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

·         3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash

·         2 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste

·         4 cups Chicken Stock or fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

·         1/3 cup uncooked couscous

·         3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

·         1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced into 3/4-inch pieces

·         1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

·         2 teaspoons grated orange rind

Preparation

1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken; cook for 4 minutes, browning on all sides. Add cumin, cinnamon, and pepper to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add butternut squash and tomato paste; cook 1 minute. Stir in Chicken Stock, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes. Stir in couscous, salt, and zucchini; cook 5 minutes or until squash is tender. Remove pan from heat. Stir in chopped basil and orange rind.