Curried Apples & Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Next to lattes, soup is the ultimate comfort food during the 6 months of really cold weather we endure in the great, white north. From October throughout March, I like to get my soup on. When I have a little bit more time on my hands (which seldom happens), I like to roast my vegetables before adding them to my soup or turning them into purée. Any cook will tell you this adds immense flavour to the broth.

So let’s talk a little about this particular soup. I am sure the thought of curried apples in soup may not sound that enticing to some, but if you trust me on my other recipes… I assure you this soup is absolutely delicious!

We went apple picking with the kids last weekend to this rustic family-run organic apple farm north of the city. It was a beautifully crisp Sunday morning, and we picked three bushels of crunchy apples. Upon returning home with all our healthy loot, I started pondering on how to put all these apples to good use. One of the first things I made was a huge (as in HUGE) batch of homemade apple sauce, something my youngest child really enjoys. This apple sauce became part of the soup, and it wasn’t planned….

So let me introduce you to my “kitchen hacks” AKA time-saving tricks. I made the most delicious roasted butternut squash soup, warmed up apple sauce & added yellow curry, onions, garlic, a pinch of turmeric, cumin and paprika & then mixed it all in. The soup was so amazingly good, I was sad when I finished it. And just because am all about the toppings, I added a fresh rosemary twig to the soup, candied pecans & crumbled goat cheese in lieu of creme fraiche. Dinner done right, in under 30 minutes & using all real food ingredients!

Curried Apples & Butternut Squash Soup

Servings: 4
Time: 25 mins
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2 medium-sized butternut squash
2 cups of apple sauce (can be either homemade or organic store-bought)
1-2 tbsp mild yellow curry powder (depends on how strong you like it- but yellow curry is not hot)
2 yellow onions very finely chopped
2 cloves of minced garlic (about 1/2 tbsp)
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of grass fed butter
1 tsp of paprika
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
4 cups of organic chicken or vegetable broth
sea salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
3-4 fresh rosemary twigs (optional, they do add a nice flavor to the broth if you throw them in at the very end, also makes for nice garnish)
1/2 cup of candied pecans for topping (optional, I candy my pecans with maple syrup & then roast them)
1/3 cup of organic crumbled goat cheese for topping (optional)

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F & line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil
Peel the skin from the butternut squash. Slice them in half & use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Cut them in 1-2 inch cubes & lay them out evenly on the baking sheet
Sprinkle the squash with sea salt & pepper to taste & drizzle with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil and some fresh rosemary (2 twigs) and set the timer for 30 minutes. Check at the 25 minute mark. When it’s softened & golden brown, it’s ready.
While the butternut squash is roasting, use a small sauce pan or pot and bring to medium to high heat. Add the 1 tablespoon of butter, the finely chopped yellow onions, garlic, curry powder, paprika, cumin, turmeric & the 2 cups of apple sauce. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer while covered for at least 15 minutes.
Place the squash inside your food processor and using the pulse setting, puree for 20-30 seconds. You could also use a hand blender for this.
In a large soup pot, mix the 4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth with the pureed roasted butternut squash & the seasoned curried apple sauce mixture. Over medium heat, allow to simmer for 20 minutes while stirring often. Add salt & pepper to taste, but I find it doesn’t need it as the 4 cups of broth used are already mildly salted. I also throw a rosemary twig in there for flavor. There’s just something about rosemary!
Top with the candied pecans, more rosemary twigs & crumbled goat cheese. Enjoy by the spoonful!

Notes: If in a pinch or hurry, I buy organic chicken or vegetable broth from the store. Otherwise the easiest way to make it is I purchase a whole chicken, we roast it, enjoy the meat & used the bones and throw in a cup each of celery, carrots & yellow onions & allow it to simmer on low heat for up to 4-6 hours. Tastes incredible!