Spiced Squash and Apple Soup

Description

The dense, creamy flesh of these squashes marries beautifully with the apple and curry spices to create a delicious and warming winter soup.
 Email this recipe
 Print this recipe

Ingredients

At a glance
Seasonal
Autumn
Winter
Makes
about 2 litres of soup which freezes well.

1kg squash of your choice (pealed, de-seeded and chopped)

2 medium cooking apples such as Bramley or Charles Ross (pealed, de-seeded and chopped)

2 onions (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

1 litre reduced salt vegetable stock

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp mild curry powder

Salt and pepper

Methods/steps

  1. Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the onions until they start to brown.
  2. Add the chopped apples and pumpkin to the pot and cook for a further 5 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic and curry powder and cook for a minute more.
  4. Add the stock and bring to the boil.
  5. Reduce heat to a fast simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
  6. Blend the soup if you prefer a smooth consistency and season with salt and pepper.

Additional Tips

Squash are available all through the late autumn and winter. Crown prince, butternut, red onion or kiri kiri squashes have more flavour and a creamier texture than the jack o lanterns pumpkins which are commercially grown for Halloween carving.

  • Serve this soup with toasted sesame seeds and a swirl of cream or yoghurt.
  • Adding a spoon of seasonal pesto to each serving the soup looks wonderful and adds further depth of flavour. Try this easy combination: blend 3 tbsp of toasted hazelnuts, a clove of garlic, and 6 tbsp chopped coriander with 3 tbsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper or a dash of chilli.
  • You can also add red lentils to this soup to make it even more hearty and nutritious or make a simple baby food by steaming some extra pumpkin and apple on top of the soup and then mashing them.
  • It is cheaper to buy a whole pumpkin and make extra soup and baby food, which you can then freeze.

Recipe from:

Robin Van Creveld, Community Chef, www.communitychef.org.uk

Erika Adler, Cookery Development Manager, www.bhfood.org.uk