Butternut Squash Apple Soup

This weekend was chock full of fall smells in my kitchen! I started with the bread, but a Starr Fish cannot live on bread alone. I have this habit of starring recipes in my google reader and then never thinking about them again or never actually considering the possibility of giving them a try.

Dinner A Love Story featured a quick recipe for "Butternut Squash Soup with Apples." Sounds delish, right? Perfect for a cozy fall weekend! It sounded almost too easy to make and the her pictures made me want to reach my spoon through the screen to steal a taste. I had to give it a try.

Butternut Squash Soup with Apples

1 small/medium onion (I used half of a larger one) chopped

olive oil

pinch of thyme

1 tsp curry powder

pinch of cayenne (optional, I included it and it was tasty!)

salt & pepper

1 butternut squash, halved, seeded peeled, chopped into cubes

2 apples, peeled, chopped into chunks

1 carton of vegetable broth

cider

I had most of the ingredients already, just grabbed a butternut squash and some extra apples beyond those I'd want for snacking this week when I was at the grocery store. While I was waiting for my second loaf of bread rise, I prepped my butternut squash and apples and set them aside. Then chopped up the onion.

Hello, butternut squash!

Apples and butternut squash chunks, prepped and ready to go.

In a soup or stock pot over medium heat, drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of the pan, add the chopped onions. Stir occasionally until translucent. Add salt (I eyeballed a small mound in my hand, about a teaspoon) & pepper, a pinch of thyme, 1 teaspoon of curry powder, and your pinch of cayenne, if you want a bit of heat like me. Stir around for a couple minutes to bring out the soul of the spices.

Add your prepped butternut squash and apples. Pour in vegetable broth and a good pour of cider. I added probably a half cup. Your squash and apples should be pretty well covered. Turn the heat up and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

If you have an immersion blender, I'm totally jealous of you and you can use it to puree the soup right in the pot. If you're like me and have a regular blender, you'll want to puree the soup in batches to get a nice smooth consistency.

Before the blend = chunky.

During the blend, getting smooth!

I served this soup with a little taste of sour cream, but use your imagination and garnish as you wish. DALS suggested walnuts, chives and creme fraiche Sour cream did the trick at Chez Starr Fish!