Squash and Apple Soup

Choose squashes that are heavy for their size and are bright colored. You can either buy precut butternut squash or peel it yourself. With their thick skin, winter squashes can be a challenge to cut. Use a sharp swivel peeler to remove the hard skin; a sharp knife also works well. For this recipe, I suggest either butternut or kabocha squash, as they have similar tastes and textures.

As the weather cools off, I go right into soup-making mode. This bright orange squash and apple soup puree has lots of interesting flavor notes. The squash contributes a sweet, creamy essence, while the crisp green apple adds a fresh, tart fruit flavor. I prefer green apples here so they balance the squash’s sweetness. The fresh rosemary and thyme add a pleasant woodsy flavor.

Related Article: Five Health Benefits of Butternut Squash

You’ll notice that you don’t sauté anything. Most of the ingredients in the squash and apple soup are simmered together and then half and half is added at the end. If you have a high-speed blender, feel free to use it here. If I am in a hurry, I will use my hand blender right in the pot. The garnishes reinforce the creamy, woodsy flavor of the squash and apple soup. I like to serve this as a first course for dinner or as a main course along with a simple vegetable salad and crusty bread for lunch.

Fall Squash and Apple Soup

Serves 6 to 8

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 medium Granny Smith, or other tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried leaf
• 1/2 cup half and half
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For garnish:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Extra rosemary and thyme leaves

1. Heat the chicken stock in a medium soup pot on high heat until simmering.

2. Add squash, apples, onion, shallots, and herbs. Lower the heat to medium and simmer, covered for 25 minutes, or until all vegetables are soft and tender.

3. Puree in the pot with a hand blender. Add half and half, salt and pepper, stir to blend and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

4. Ladle squash and apple soup into bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and rosemary and thyme leaves.

© 2022 Diane Rossen Worthington. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.