Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

 

 

I made this soup because I had both butternut squash and many apples sitting on the counter yesterday.  It was really delicious, gluten free and relatively easy to make ahead of time for a later dinner. I always use more olive oil than it calls for but that's up to you.  This recipe comes from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. The hardest part is peeling the squash so if you can do that the day before and store the squash chunks in the refrigerator, you will save a lot of time.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large)
2 tablespoons mild curry powder
5 pounds butternut squash (2 large)
1 1/2 pounds sweet apples, such as McIntosh (4 apples)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups water
2 cups good apple cider or juice

Optional - Crème fraîche, chives or parsley

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, and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash and 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 fitted 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 the salt and pepper and serve hot. You can also add a dollup of creme freche and/or chopped chives or parsley on top.