Butternut Squash and Green Apple Soup
This Butternut Squash and Green Apple Soup has the most delicious blend of flavors from a bit of sherry and tarragon. It's a dinner party soup that also hits the spot on a cold winter night when you want something rich, creamy, and comforting.
I haven't posted a recipe for the Recipe ReDux in a while because - I honestly forgot about it the past 2 months 🙁 My bad. I guess Thanksgiving and Christmas got the best of me and my time. So, I'm happy to be back, and I definitely couldn't miss this one, because for January's theme, they asked us to share a healthy recipe using our favorite cooking tool. I have a lot of favorite cooking tools, so it was hard to decide.
One of my all-time favorites is probably my immersion blender. and the one that I still use is 30 years old. I know this because I got it when I was pregnant with my daughter and I was convinced that I was gonna be mamma of the year, and make my own baby food.
That lasted about 2 weeks, but I've used that immersion blender for everything from smoothies to whipped cream and sauces to every kind of creamy soup under the stars, for the past 31 years.
It's a staple for all of my creamy soups, including my Creamy White Bean and Fennel Soup, my Roasted Acorn Squash Soup with Apples and Peanut Butter, and this delicious butternut squash Soup with green apples, sherry, and tarragon.
This is "dinner party soup". The kind of first-course you serve at a dinner party when you want to wow your guests - because the flavors are just so fabulous. The first time I had it was probably 20 years ago.
I used to live in a wonderful neighborhood where we had "Dinner Group" a few times each year. Neighbors each assigned a dish from a planned menu, to make and share. We all got a little dressed up, and brought our dish over to the host's home, ate a lovely dinner with drinks and dessert, and then we split the cost across the group.
This Butternut Squash soup was part of a fall menu, and I still make it all the time. It's very delicious when I want something creamy, rich, and comforting, AND although it's a rich carb-fest, it's also jam-packed with beta-carotene - so you don't have to feel the least bit guilty about those carbs.
Here's a tip: If fresh butternut squash isn't available, or if you don't feel like peeling it - use the frozen kind! And my other tip — if you don't have an immersion blender, you seriously need to order one TODAY!
I still love my old Cuisinart brand, but it looks like this Braun model is the new America's Test Kitchen winner. I have a feeling they're all pretty good. though
If you're not familiar with how an immersion blender works - you literally just stick it in the pot, press the button, and stir it around. It blends the soup without any work or mess at all. You can totally blend it in a blender, but do it in batches and make sure you don't fill the blender too full. I made that mistake BEFORE I had my immersion blender, and take my word - hot soup WILL explode in a full blender.
Recipe
Butternut Squash and Green Apple Soup
Ingredients
- 3 Tbs olive oil divided
- 1 ½ lbs peeled cubed butternut squash
- 1 lb tart green apples (about 3 medium), cored and cubed
- 1 lb sweet onion about 1 large, sliced
- 3 slices light wheat bread cubed
- 6 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon tarragon or more to taste
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup sherry
- ½ Tbs kosher salt and ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- optional to garnish
- 1 leek cut into thin rounds
- roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat.
- Saute squash, apples, onions, and bread with olive oil.
- Add chicken stock, tarragon, salt, pepper, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until squash and apples are tender - about 50 minutes.
- When the apples and squash are tender, puree soup using an immersion blender.
- Add cream and sherry to soup and bring to a simmer.
- Taste, and adjust seasonings as necessary.
- If garnishing with fried leeks, saute the leek rounds in about 1 tablespoon olive oil, for about 5 minutes, or until they just start to turn golden.
- Ladle soup into bowls, and if desired, garnish with fried leeks and pepitos
Notes
Nutrition
Do you own an immersion blender? What's your favorite kitchen tool?
Eat well!