Name: Butternut Squash Apple Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 Tb unsalted butter; 1 Tb extra virgin olive oil; 2 c chopped yellow oions; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 Tb mild yellow curry powder (omit if you don't like spiciness); 2 1/2 lb butternut squash (this is about 1 l medium sized butternut squash); 3/4 lb sweet apples (such as McIntosh); 1 c water; 1 c fresh apple cider (or apple juice); fresh ground black pepper; maple syrup; coconut milk; toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds

Did you know this is Ina Garten's favorite soup recipe? Instead of a plain butternut squash that's pureed, this recipe adds fresh apples and some curry spice. Make a big batch and freeze the leftover for later.

Butternut squash apple soup in a gray bowl with coconut milk, pumpkin seeds, and fresh thyme garnish

The festive orange color makes this a fun soup for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or a cozy fall dinner.

Butternut squash is ideal for making a creamy soup without actually using heavy cream. This soup would also pair really well with a green bean casserole and wild rice pilaf. If you like curry spice, you might try a Thai butternut squash curry served with blue jasmine rice.

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Inspiration
Ingredients
Instructions
Storage
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Inspiration

Ina Garten featured this soup in her book, Barefood Contessa Parties! As she states, "This is my all-time favorite soup, and it's good for you. It's a vegetarian creation of a popular soup from The Silver Palate Cookbook and is one of the best-selling soups at Barefoot Contessa. The creamy butternut squash and sweet apples balance the spicy curry."

I like this recipe because the curry spice is unexpected. I've adapted the cooking instructions and garnishes, but the ingredient ratios are true to the recipe.

Ingredients

Butternut Squash - These oblong pumpkins are the season's must have food item every year. The only problem is cutting them. (I once avoided that for so long, the butternut squash sat on my counter for an entire year.) To avoid cutting hard squash, so many stores sell precut squares. Otherwise, peel off the skin with a vegetable peeler, scoop out the seeds, and cut into even sized chunks, about 3-4 inches.
Apple Cider or Juice - Darker brown than juice and cloudy in appearance, cider is not filtered or pasteurized. Other than drinking it fresh, it also makes a really nice salad dressing.
Onion - Cut the onions last, so you're not crying while cutting the rest of the vegetables.
Apples - I used granny smith apples, but you can use the apple of choice.
Butter - Use a non-dairy butter or regular butter.
Olive Oil or other cooking oil of your choice.
Curry Powder - This might be the secret ingredient. it doesn't make it taste like a curry soup but just adds a little bit of interest with a sprinkle of spices. I use a yellow curry powder rather than a dark garam masala blend, which makes the soup turn a dark brown.
Black Pepper (Optional) - This adds black flecks to your soup if it is not finely ground. If you don't want to see black flecks, either omit or use a finely ground black pepper.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Chopped butternut squash and apples on a wooden cutting board

Peel the apples and butternut squash. Cut into 2 in chunks with as uniform sizes as possible, so they cook at an even rate.

Peel and dice the onion into about a ¼ inch dice.

Melted butter and olive oil in a dutch oven

Heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat.

Chopped onion in a dutch oven with olive oil and butter

Once the oil is hot, add the onions and saute until soft, about 6-8 minutes.

Take care not to brown the onions. Turn down the heat if they start to brown. You just want them to sweat down and soften.

cooked oven with curry powder in a dutch oven

Add the curry powder. Stir for 30 seconds to a minute to bloom the spices in the hot oil.

butternut squash and apples in a dutch oven

Add the butternut squash, apples, and water to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil. It will seem like there's not enough liquid, but the squash and apples will release their juices as they cook.

Chunks of Butternut squash apple soup in a pot

Once the liquid comes to a boil, stir the ingredients so all the pieces get a chance to cook evenly. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the squash is soft.

At this point, there should be plenty of liquid in the pot and the pumpkin should easily fall apart when pressed with a spoon.

Butternut squash apple soup in a pot being pureed with an immersion blender

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Alternately, you can do this in batches in a blender.

Butternut squash apple soup in a pot with an immersion blender

Add the apple cider to thin out the soup to the a soupy consistency. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. I like adding a touch of maple syrup for extra sweetness.

Serve hot and top with optional garnishes. I like using coconut milk for creaminess and toasted pumpkin seeds for crunch.

Storage

Store leftovers in the fridge and eat within 3 days. Freeze without the garnishes for up to 3 months.

Helpful Tips

This recipe can be easily doubled to make 3 ½ qt of soup. Use at least a 5 qt sized cooking pot.
Take care when blending any hot liquid in a blender. If the cap is sealed too tightly, the hot steam and liquid can cause explosions. It's best to remove the plastic round seal from the cap and cover it with a thick towel held down with your hand. This will allow at least a little bit of air to escape. Also, pulse gently and work your way up to a full blend.
Restaurant style - A fine dining restaurant would push the blended soup through a fine sieve to make the soup extra creamy and smooth.