While I was searching through recipes to make for September’s IMBB, I came across an Apple & Squash soup recipe at The Vegan Chef that caught my eye. I’ve changed a few things below but you can find the original, vegan version at the above site. My version uses chicken stock, some rosemary (I love the combination of rosemary & apples), garlic and if you are feeling evil, you can even add some cream! But, vegan or non-vegan, this is my favorite kind of soup — basically simmering a bunch of veggies in stock and then blending everything together!
Apple & Winter Squash Soup:
1 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups acorn or other Winter squash, peeled, deseeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (I used Butternut)
2 cups apples, peeled, cored, and diced (I used Gala)
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup apple juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3-inch piece of fresh rosemary, leaves stripped & chopped
1/2 cup of hazelnut milk* (or regular milk, half and half, or if you are feeling decadent, cream!)
Optional Garnishes: toasted pumpkin seeds, parsley, more rosemary, a dollop of yogurt or chopped chives — you pick!
In a large pot, sauté the onion in the oil for about 5 minutes to soften. Add the garlic, squash, apples, and ginger, and sauté an additional 5 minutes. Next, add the stock, apple juice, rosemary, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the squash is tender. Using an immersion hand blender or a food processor in batches, puree the soup until smooth and creamy. Return the soup to the pot and whisk in the milk. Reheat over low heat if needed. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Garnish individual servings for added color.
* You can find this in the soy milk section. I don’t know, it seemed extra Autumn-y to me, so I got it for the soup. But then, I am the target market for Pumpkin Ale. Oh! I totally need to get some of that this weekend!