Butternut Squash & Green Apple Soup

The weather has been especially chilly these last couple of days- making me wish for a warm bowl of soup and a slice of hearty bread...and perhaps a good book in hand :-)  I've been wanting to make butternut squash soup for a while, so this was perfect for the frosty weather.  The balance of the sweet butternut squash and the tart green apple make the perfect match.  I was very pleased with this soup!  I liked the silky texture and the satisfying taste without the heaviness.  (Serves 4-6)

Ingredients: 

©      1 small Onion- chopped

©      1 Garlic clove- minced

©      1 Celery stalk- chopped

©      1 Carrot- chopped

©      2 Tbsp Butter (Earth Balance to keep it vegan)

©      1 small Butternut Squash- peeled, seeded, and chopped

©      1 green Apple- peeled, cored, chopped (squash and apple should be at a 3 to 1 ratio)

©      3 cups Vegetable Broth

©      1 cup Water

©      Pinches of Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Ginger, Salt and Black Pepper

1. Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes.  Add onion, garlic, celery and carrot and sauté for 5 minutes; turn the heat down if the vegetables begin to brown.

2 Add squash, apple, broth and water. Bring to boil. Add salt and spices.  Cover, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until squash and carrots soften. (Note the smaller you chop your vegetables, the quicker your soup will be finished.  If you got the time, try roasting the butternut squash in the over in it's skin until soft then scraping the flesh out into the done soup just before pureeing.)  Puree in a blender, and return to a clean pot.

3 Add additional salt and/or spices to taste, and garnish with chives or parsley.

I enjoyed making this quick, delicious, simple, and yet so healthy soup!  I hope you too will give this soup a try!  Happy Thursday Everyone!


Adopted from: simplyrecipes.com