Butternut Squash Soup

This is one of those perfect wintertime soups. It warms you up on the inside with a little kick from cayenne and finishes off with a bit of sweetness from fresh apples. Two winters ago, my husband and I were on an extremely tight budget and were doing all that we could to cut down our grocery expenses. While at the farmers market one Saturday, we found a vendor selling his winter squash in huge bags for only $15, I think there was over 20 squash in it. It was the end of the season (late fall) and he was trying to get rid of his produce. Lucky us! Hitting the farmers market at the end of the season is always a great time to get some extra good deals, just be prepared to spend time in the kitchen canning and freezing all the delicious foods you are able to find.

I love squash, but by the time we were about halfway through the bag and winter, I had about all I could handle of it! I did some digging on the internet and found this yummy recipe for squash soup. I thought I found it on Foodnetwork.com, but before putting this post together I went to go find it again and was unable to. It was a very easy recipe, so I looked at it once, and it stuck in my brain. I guess you could say this is my version of the soup, since I really don't recall all the specifics of the original recipe, however, it's still delicious!


What You'll Need: 4-6 servings

• 1 2 - 3 lb butternut or acorn squash
• 1 large red onion
• 3-4 small apples, I think in this batch I used Pink Lady, but any firm, mildly-sweet apple will work
• 1/8 teaspoon or less of cayenne pepper
• Chicken broth
• Cream to garnish with
• Olive oil
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

• Large casserole dish or a large jelly roll pan
• sharp knife
• Vegetable peeler
• Regular or submersion blender
• Large pot to warm soup in
• Mixing spoon

Getting Started

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Peel your squash and apples with a vegetable peeler and/or a sharp knife. Cut the squash in half and remove seeds. Core the apples. Chop the squash, onion and apples into similar-sized pieces around 1" cubes. Place them in the casserole dish or jelly roll pan and pour several tablespoons of olive oil on them and toss/stir to make sure they are evenly coated. Sprinkle on a little salt and a dash of cayenne pepper.

Note: If kids are eating this soup and aren't fans of any type of spice, omit the cayenne. A little bit of cayenne goes a very long way in this soup and does add a "kick". Also, go more conservatively on the cayenne your first time making this, no more then an 1/8 teaspoon and probably only half of that. I very lightly sprinkle cayenne over top of the vegetables and have found that it gives it more then enough "kick". The goal isn't to make the soup spicy, but just add extra depth of flavor and a little extra warmth.



Place coated vegetables and fruit into preheated oven and roast for about 30 minutes or until soft. Stir every 10 - 15 minutes to make sure they cook evenly and don't stick.

Once done roasting, remove vegetables/fruit and allow to cool some. Fill your blender about 3/4 of the way with the veggies (you may have to do more than one batch), and pour the chicken broth on top. Add enough broth so you are able to easily process the veggies to a smooth, creamy consistency. Pour the soup into pot and heat to desired eating temperature. Thin with more broth to desired consistency. You can also add a cup of cream at this point to make an extra creamy soup. Season with salt and a bit of fresh cracked pepper.

Pour the soup into bowls and garnish with a little cream!