With the coming of colder weather, I have been completely fixated on making batch after batch of homemade soup. Soup is an amazing thing to me because I can generally get away with meatless meals that are easy on my wallet, both of which I love. While I’m not a strict vegetarian, I do enjoy cooking for myself sans-meat much more, and I spend less at the grocery store!
This week I got inspiration for a new soup from my roommate. She brought home an abundance of fresh fruit and veggies, including a butternut squash and lots of apples, from a CSA her family belongs to. From here, I went about making a butternut squash soup adapted from Simply Recipes. This soup is special because it includes one tart apple—a slightly different spin on squash, but it the apple balances out the sweetness of this soup!
Although the recipe calls for you to peel and chop the squash before cooking, I decided to try roasting it partially (cut in half with some butter and brown sugar) before processing and adding it to the soup. This worked out exceptionally well—I roasted the squash for about 15 minutes before removing it from the oven, letting it cool, and then peeling and chopping it for use in the soup. This added flavor and made this tough squash much easier to deal with.
Butternut Squash Soup
Yield: serves 4–6
Ingredients:
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, chopped
- 1 tart green apple, peeled, cored, chopped
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- Pinches of nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne, garlic powder, salt and pepper
Process:
- Set large saucepan over med-high heat. Melt butter. Add onion and carrot and sauté for 5 minutes, making sure they do not begin to brown.
- Add squash, apple, broth and water. Bring to boil. Cover, turning heat down to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes or until squash and carrots begin to soften. If you roasted the squash first your cook time will be shorter.
- Puree in batches (or with an immersion blender) and return to a clean pot.
- Add salt and spices to taste. Garnish with chives, parsley, homemade croutons, etc.
Total Cost:
1 medium yellow onion: $0.74
2 small carrots: $0.42
2 Tbsp butter: $0.25
1 butternut squash: (“free” item, but I’ll take a guess) $5.00
1 tart green apple: (also “free”) $0.50
3 cups chicken broth: $2.00
Assorted spices: $0.50
Cost per serving (based on 5 servings): $1.88
Having made the soup and already eaten it for two meals, I must say that I am satisfied with the outcome. If I were to make any additions it would be to add a splash of heavy cream. This would make it taste a little richer and feel more hearty than it does already. That said, it’s definitely a keeper. Enjoy!
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