Butternut Apple Bisque

Yield: 4-6 servings

This delightfully simple soup comes together quickly, especially if you purchase pre-cut butternut squash. The trick to making perfectly pureed soups is to not add too much liquid at the beginning – you can always thin the soup but you cannot make it thicker. The other trick is to use a stick blender. If you don’t have one, go get one. You’ll be glad you did!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 Fuji apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 quart vegetable stock (or water)
• 1 teaspoon dry cooking sherry or apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan, or soup pot, over medium heat. Add onion, with a sprinkling of salt and pepper, to the pot. Sautee onion until soft and transparent, about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add the apples, squash, and spices to the pan. Toss to coat with the oil and onion. Cover and steam for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add just enough vegetable stock to cover the  squash (it will take about 1 quart). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until squash and apples are very tender.
4. Remove the pot from the heat. Using a stick blender, puree the soup in the pot. If you are using a blender, puree the soup in batches. To the puree, add a splash (about 1 teaspoon) of dry cooking sherry or apple cider vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. At this point, you can thin the soup to your desired consistency using vegetable stock or water. Garnish with a dollop of fat-free plain yogurt and roasted pepitas. Other tasty garnish options include crumbled blue cheese or toasted almonds. Enjoy!