Baking with Basil

Last weekend while we were grocery shopping I was picking up the ingredients for my cupcakes.  Rather than buying individual apples, I decided to go with a pre-packaged bag.  I get home and start peeling them and realize they are not as crisp as I needed for the cupcakes.  Since I prefer my apples to be really crisp I knew they would just sit in the fridge.  I wanted to use up the butternut squash for dinner….so I got out all my cookbooks and started looking for recipes.  Voila – a recipe to use up both!

Although this soup was good, it was not something I would go back for seconds for.  I thought the apples made the soup to sweet.  The next day I wanted to give it another try.  I couldn’t write it off just  yet.  I added a scoop of light sour cream and some toasted and salted pecans to balance out the sweetness, and then a lot of black pepper.  Still wasn’t loving it.  I really like the overall texture and butternut squash flavor, but next time I might try to reduce the apples and change up the spices.  Keep in mind this is coming from someone that if I had a choice between loading up my sweet potato with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon OR butter, garlic salt and cayenne……I would choose the latter.  Personally I like my meals to be savory and my desserts to be sweet.   But if you are one that likes some sweetness, give this soup a try!! You will enjoy it!

Stop back later in the week for Brown Sugar Toffee Cake.  Trust me….it’s as good as it sounds!

Creamy Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Recipe from The Vegetarian Family Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash
• 2 tbsp light olive oil
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 4 cups peeled, diced apple, any cooking variety
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 cups low fat milk, rice milk, or soy milk
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2.  Halve the squash lengthwise with a sharp knife and scoop out the seeds and fibers. Place cut side up in a shallow baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Or, if you’d like a more roasted flavor, simply brush the squash halves with a little olive oil and leave uncovered. Either way, bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until tender. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

3.  Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and sauté over medium-low heat until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

4.  Add the apples, broth, and spices. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer gently until the apples are soft, about 10 minutes.

5.  In a food processor, puree the squash with ½ cup of the milk until completely smooth. Transfer to a bowl.

6.  Transfer the apple-onion mixture to the food processor and purée until completely smooth. Return to the soup pot and add the squash purée; stir together. Add the remaining milk, using a bit more if the purée is too thick.

7.  Bring the soup to a gentle simmer, then cook over low heat until well heated through, 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at once, or let the soup stand off the heat for 1 to 2 hours, then heat through as needed before serving.