Hooray! My first soup of the season! One thing I always look forward to when the nights get a little chillier, is making fall soup. I love hearty vegetable, or a chowder, but nothing beats a classic butternut squash soup. It’s perfect during October especially. I’ve made a bunch of different ones, some sweeter than others, one with roasted garlic, but this one is a new favorite because of the curry. It has a little bit more spice to it, which is nice balance with the sweetness of the butternut squash. Add some tart McIntosh apples {which are in season right now!} and it’s the best combo! My favorite thing about fall soups? They get better the next day and all you have to do is reheat! Dinner, done!
Butternut Squash and Apple Soup adapted from Ina Garten
makes 3 1/2 quarts {half the recipe for 2 or plan on freezing some!}
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons good olive oil
4 cups shopped yellow onions (3 large)
2 Tablespoons mild curry powder (can add less if you like)
5 pounds butternut squash (2 large, or you can buy the bags from Trader Joes with pre-peeled and cut cubes to save yourself some time!)
1 1/2 pounds sweet apples, such as McIntosh (4 apples)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly group black pepper
2 cups water
2 cups good apple cider or juice
DIRECTIONS
Warm the butter, olive oil, onions, and curry powder in a large stockpot uncovered over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot.
Peel the squash, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into chunks. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut into chunks.
Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper, an 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the apples are very soft. Process the soup through a food mill fitted with a large blade, or puree it coarsely in the bowl of a food processor fitting with a steel blade.
Pour the soup back into the pot. Add the apple cider or juice and enough water to make the soup the consistency you like; it should be slightly sweet and quite thick. Check and salt and pepper and serve hot. I garnished with thinly sliced apples and some cinnamon.
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What do you look forward to cooking or baking most during fall?
xox
