Recipe: Smooth Spiced Butternut Squash And Apple Soup

Sweet, spicy, and tangy, this creamy and delicious soup combines the best of fall into a smooth and rich tasting soup. Most of the ingredients should be easy to find at your local farmer's market or in your CSA share this time of year. Using butternut squash gives the soup a creamy richness even without using any cream, so if you're looking to cut some fat and calories, this simple autumn soup fits the bill and still satisfies!

Smooth Spiced Butternut Squash And Apple Soup
(Serves 4-6.)

Ingredients:

Butternut Squash Soup (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2 large butternut squash
2 sweet ripe apples
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp basil
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp Turkish or Spanish saffron (safflower blossoms)
1/4 tsp allspice
pinch ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

• Wash the whole squash, then cut it in half, then into chunks, removing any seeds or string first; bring a big pot of water to a boil, drop in the squash and let cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until fork tender.
• Meanwhile, peel the apples, core, chop, and put in a glass bowl (without water) and microwave for 3 to 5 minutes or until you can mash them with a fork. You can also just put the chopped up apple in a small saucepan over low heat and cook until soft, just watching it so it doesn't burn to the bottom.
• Remove the squash from the cooking water, let cool slightly, and scrape the edible portions from the outer rind, putting the good part in a bowl. Save the cooking water in the pot.
• Put the squash in your food processor and blend until smooth; then add smashed apples and process until both are pureed and smooth.
• Put the squash-applesauce puree into another soup pot and add enough of the reserved cooking water to make a thick soup. You can always add a bit more as you cook the soup to thin it out more.
• Add the seasonings to the soup, stirring to combine.
• Turn burner on to low under your soup pot, slightly tip a lip on the pot, and simmer slowly for about 5 to 10 minutes, just so the flavors combine.  Add more of the cooking liquid from the other pot if desired.
• Serve warm.