The Butternut

I know I say this every season, but I love this time of year. The cooler, crisp air, sunny days (sometimes), and the abundance of Fall vegetables and fruits. Apples are my favourite fruit and they are finally in season. Adam, who literally eats anything, is ridicuously picky when it comes to apples, and will actually throw away an apple if it is at all soft when he bites into it. So, I know he is a happy camper this time of year as you can't seem to find anything but crisp and tart deliciousness. Squash and pumpkins are also exploding out the bins at the grocery shops and are hard to walk past without some consideration. Apart from carving the standard orange pumpkin every year, I haven't been too adventurous with these hard-shelled wonders. 

Last week I was out for a run and had a very random thought: I am going to buy an immersion blender! Again, I love squash, especially pureed in soups, but have had a few nightmares trying to pour the piping hot ingredients into a blender. So, I set out for the shops and returned with my new kitchen toy, a new sharp knife to attack the squash, and some ingredients for my soup. I have seen quite a few recipes over the years for squash soups so took what I remembered and attempted to create my own. I chose to use a Butternut squash and a couple tart local apples for this curried soup. Preparing the squash is a challenge (my healing elbow was put to the test), but it is well-worth the effort because the soup makes enough for a few day's worth of leftovers. Use your biggest soup pot for cooking this soup as it makes the stirring and pureeing less messy. Here is my recipe:

Curried Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 medium chopped onion

1 large peeled & cubed butternut squash

2 peeled & diced apples

4 cups organic chicken broth

1 cup apple juice

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp curry powder

fresh cracked pepper to taste

Saute the onion with the coconut oil over medium heat for about five minutes, until it is softened. Add the squash and apple and saute for two more minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the squash and apple are very tender (it will take less if your squash and apples cubes are small). Puree the soup with your immersion blender and that's it... enjoy! 

Working with the butternut has inspired me to try other recipes and I have a few I am looking forward to testing soon:

Butternut & Goat Cheese Pizza

Butternut Squash Chilli (with Kale!)

Roasted Butternut Squash with Moroccan Spices

Butternut Squash Pie

This is a boring cooking blog that some may not bother to read. So, if you've made it this far, here is something FUN to do with a Butternut: