Here comes soup season: Cooler temperatures, beautiful late-harvest ingredients, hungry stomachs looking for warm satisfaction.
This recipe for Butternut Squash and Apple Soup simply screams, Autumn! It comes from the charming new cookbook “The Comfort of Apples,” by Philip and Lauren Rubin. The authors write, “Soup should be a smooth, friendly spoonful, which is why this is a lasting combination.” Agreed.
They don’t specify which apples to use. I say go with whatever your favorite apple is to begin with. Granny Smiths will give you a sharper, tarter flavor, Macouns or Braeburns a slightly sweeter (but still nicely balanced) soup.
Next time you buy apples, buy 5 pounds. Eat the prettiest one while you’re making this soup (which requires about four to six apples, depending on size), and save the second-prettiest one for the person you love the most. Then, while the soup simmers, make applesauce with the rest — simply chop up (peeled or unpeeled), place in a pot with a good slosh of apple cider and a lump of butter, and cook, slowly, until it looks like applesauce. (You may add sugar or honey to the mix for added sweetness if you like, or a spritz of lemon juice for a zingy kick.) Cool, refrigerate and spoon over hot oatmeal tomorrow morning for breakfast.
Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
From “The Comfort of Apples,” by Philip and Lauren Rubin (Lyons Press). Serves 6.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
4 cups apples, peeled, cored and chopped (about 4-6 apples, depending on size)
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 quart chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup walnut halves
4 ounces goat cheese, sliced in 1/4-inch rounds
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the squash, apples, carrots, stock and cinnamon and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer until the vegetables are soft when pierced with a fork, 20 to 30 minutes.
Ladle the vegetables and half of the broth into a blender or food processor. Puree until very smooth. Return soup to the pot and stir in the remaining broth, one ladleful at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. Season well with salt and pepper.
To serve, place a few walnuts in the center of a soup bowl. Place 2 slices of goat cheese on top of the walnuts and ladle the soup around the goat cheese. The idea is to have the goat cheese visible atop the soup. (Hint: It may be easier to ladle the soup into a large measuring cup with a spout and pour from there.)
