Spiced Apple Butternut Squash Soup

Spiced Apple Butternut Squash Soup

(6 servings)

Ingredients:

3½ -4 lb. Butternut Squash

2 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 cup Red Onion, chopped

1 large Granny Smith Apple, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped

¼ tsp. Ground Nutmeg (see note)

¼ tsp. Ground Cinnamon

¼ tsp. Ground Cardamom

¼ tsp. Ground Ginger

1/8 tsp. Ground Cloves

3 cups Chicken Broth (see note)

To taste Kosher Salt and Black Pepper

¼ cup Crème Fraiche

Directions:

Place a washed butternut squash on a rimmed baking pan and put in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 1 and a ¼ hours or until a skewer can easily go through the neck of the squash.  Let cool.  Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion and apple and cook, uncovered, until onion is translucent and apple is tender (about 5 minutes).  Add spices and cook, stirring, until fragrant (about 1 minute).  Halve cooled squash lengthwise and scrape out seeds and discard, then scoop out flesh and set aside.  Remove onion mixture from heat and stir in cooked squash and 2 cups of broth.  In batches, puree mixture in a blender or food processor until very smooth.  Return to pot and heat over medium heat to warm through and blend flavors (about 10 minutes).  Add more broth as needed to give you and consistency you desire.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.  Top each bowl with crème fraiche.

Note:               It is best to use fresh nutmeg and grate it yourself if possible.

Note:               If you use vegetable broth in place of the chicken, it becomes a vegetarian soup.  Omit the crème fraiche too and it’s vegan.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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