Thursday, December 3, 2009

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup


I had this soup at a friend's dinner party a few weeks back and it was delicious. I asked her for the recipe and she told me she got it from Barefoot Contessa. I made it for dinner one night and was literally licking the bowl :) Enjoy!

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

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.


*Tip* Try to find a butternut squash that is already cut up. It's a little more expensive but trust me - cutting up a butternut squash is a nightmare (if anyone has any tips on how to make cutting it up easier please tell me!). It'll save you a lot of time and stress. I almost lost a few fingers my first time making this until I got wise.