by Dave Kidder
As much as I love summer and all of its amazing fruits and vegetables, I especially look forward to fall because of the drastic change that occurs on the menu. The sweet-savory flavors of autumn (butternut squash, pumpkin, apples, pears, pomegranates, persimmons) create a comfortable feeling, nostalgic of the holidays and big family feasts.
I think butternut squash is the most frequently requested autumn vegetable on our menu at The Cheese Board. Fortunately, one of our local organic farmers, Rick Lattin, grows an abundance of this squash, so you might see him bringing us a case or two at the restaurant on a Thursday afternoon. I mainly use it for soup, and it is one of the most popular soups here. Using granny smith apples and yellow onions along with vegetable stock, cinnamon, allspice, and heavy cream, fresh butternut squash soup warms the soul like no other. I like granny smith apples for this application better then others because of their sweet-tart flavor and when you caramelize the onion and the apples together it brings an extra layer of richness and a naturally sweetness to this soup. Nothing says, “Fall is here!” like a bowl of this soup.
Remember, when making this soup, simple is better. The flavor of the squash, apples and onions is great by itself, but a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of allspice, salt and fresh ground pepper helps this soup by accenting its naturally amazing flavor. Enjoy!
Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
yields 6 servings
1 hour of prep time
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped in 1 inch cubes
4 granny smith apples, peeled and chopped in 1 inch cubes
1 large yellow onions, peeled and chopped in 1 inch cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
5 cups low sodium chicken broth (may substitute vegetable broth)
1 cup heavy cream
pinch of all spice
pinch of cinnamon
kosher salt to taste
fresh ground pepper
*garnish with pumpkin seeds
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss the squash, apples and onion in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables for 20 minutes or until tender.
In a soup pot add roasted vegetables, chicken broth, cinnamon and allspice. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes. Add the cream and puree the entire mixture with hand held immersion blender until nice and smooth.
Tags: butternut squash soup, dave kidder, holiday recipes, kidder's corner, recipes, reno catering, the cheese board, the cheese board and wine seller