Butternut Squash-Lime Soup

Ingredients

• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
• 3 to 6 whole cloves
• 1 garlic bulb, chopped and divided
• 1 large onion, chopped
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1 to 2 serrano or jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
• 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes
• 4 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Dragon Salt
• 1 lime, thinly sliced (optional)

Preparation

1. Bring first 5 ingredients and half of garlic to a boil in a Dutch oven; reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Remove and discard cloves.
2. Sauté onions in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender. Add peppers and remaining garlic; sauté 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup broth mixture, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Stir onion mixture and diced tomatoes into soup.
3. Place tortilla strips on a baking sheet. Bake at 350º for 45 minutes or until crisp.
4. Add cilantro, pepper, salt, and 1 teaspoon Dragon Salt to soup. Ladle into bowls; top with toasted tortilla strips and, if desired, lime slices.