Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Well, I think we all noticed summer ended this week.  While summer is always fun (both in the city and out), fall is definitely my favorite season.  I like having non-frizzy hair and wearing cute suede boots.  I was touring the Union Square Farmer's Market, 10 reusable bags in tow, when I found a sample stand.  It's nearly impossible to maneuver the market when you have 300 pounds of butternut squash hanging off your arm, but where there are samples, I find a way.  The sample stand was handing out tastings of butternut squash soup with apples - and was a perfect way to kick of autumn.

Sidenote: I went to the market at around 9:45am on Saturday. HOW WERE THERE SO MANY PEOPLE AWAKE ALREADY? Apparently I miss out on most of Saturday morning by sleeping in until noon.

Time to peel some carrots

The peeled and halved butternut squash - before seeding.

Hm. Maybe I can carve a butternut squash for Halloween instead of a pumpkin!

Ahh! I love the fall-y orange color of butternut squash!

The beginnings of a very hom nom soup.

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup, recipe courtesy of / adapted from Grow NYC / The Comfort of apples; Modern Recipes for an Old-Fashioned Favorite


Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 3 apples, peeled, cored and chopped (I used Macoun)
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 quart vegetable stock
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon plus 1 whole cinnamon stick
• 2 tbsp. pasilla chile powder (I used the powder from two whole, dried pasilla chiles)

How to peel butternut squash

Slice off a little from the top and the bottom, so that if you level it on a cutting board it can stand upright. Holding the squash firmly, peel using a vegetable peeler. Using a large knife, slice down the middle. Scoop out the seeds (you can toast them if you want to). Then cut into cubes.

For the Soup

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the squash, apples, carrots, stock, cinnamon and cinnamon stick, and chile powder and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer until the vegetables are soft when pierced with a fork, 20 to 30 minutes. 

Remove the cinnamon stick from the soup. Ladle the vegetables and the broth into a blender or food processor.  Puree until very smooth. Return the pureed soup to the pot, and stir in with the remaining broth. Continue to ladle the vegetables and broth and puree until you get the consistency you want. For example, I wanted some vegetable chunks in the soup to make it heartier, but you could puree it until it is completely smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

{Time for fall!}