Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

This recipe is a classic. Ina Garten published it as a vegetarian option from a popular soup in “The Silver Palate Cookbook” and it then became a bestselling soup at Barefoot Contessa. It’s become popular in our household as well. Yes, this recipe is a classic – I remember the days of buying a whole butternut squash and peeling it, seeding it and cutting it into chunks. Now, it’s easy to find the butternut squash already peeled, seeded and cut into chunks. It makes it so easy. To freeze (see photo), I like the quart size freezer containers from the hardware store – they serve two and stack well. If you choose to freeze some soups, be sure to label and date your soups!

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons good olive oil

4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large)

2 tablespoons mild curry powder

5 pounds butternut squash (2 large, or buy 5 pounds cubed)

1 1/2 pounds sweet apples, such as McIntosh (4 apples)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups good apple juice or cider (I used apple juice)

Warm the butter and olive oil in a large stockpot over low heat. Add the onions and curry powder and cook, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot.

If using whole butternut squash, peel the squash, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into chunks. Peel, quarter and core the apples. Cut into chunks.

Add the squash chunks, apple chunks, salt, pepper and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 30-40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft. Process the soup through a food mill or puree it in the bowl of a food processor.

Pour the soup back into the pot. Add the apple juice and enough water to make the soup the consistency you like; it should be slightly sweet and quite thick. Check the salt and pepper and serve hot.

Credit: Ina Garten