Remember that big, gorgeous hubbard squash I stuffed? Huge, previously stuffed, hubbards result in a lot of leftovers and I was a little unsure what to do with 20 cups of cooked squash. Soup seemed like a reasonable solution. I've eaten squash soup before and have always found it way too sweet for my tastes. I wanted a savory version with just a hint of sweetness. Curry immediately came to mind and I set out to make a curried squash soup with caramelized apples, pears and onions. This recipe makes a ton of soup (I had a ton of squash to deal with) but you can cut in half or freeze it for a quick and easy dinner down the road.
Curried Winter Squash Soup with Caramelized Apples, Pears & Onions
20 cups cooked winter squash 18 cups chicken or vegetable broth 3 apples, peeled and sliced 3 pears, peeled and sliced 4 onions, peeled and sliced 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup apple cider 3 cups coconut milk 5 tbsp butter 2 tbsp olive oil 1/4 cup curry powder (more to taste) salt and pepper to taste
Prepare Soup Heat 2 tbsp of butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat, add apples, pears and apple cider. Reduce heat to medium low and sauté until the apples and pears are soft and caramelized. Heat 3 tbsp of butter in another large sauté pan over medium heat and add 3 onions. Reduce heat to medium low and sauté until the onions are caramelized. Set the cooked apples, pears and onions aside.
In a medium sauté pan, add 2 tbsp of olive oil, the remaining onion, garlic and curry powder. Heat over medium heat until onions are softened and the curry powder is fragrant. Be very careful not to burn the curry powder, stir it frequently. Add the curried onions and garlic to the apple, pear and onion mixture.
Heat the cooked squash and chicken broth in a large stockpot. Once it's heated thoroughly, add the onions, apples and pears and simmer for 30 minutes. Very carefully add the soup in batches to a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Add the pureed soup to stockpot and add coconut milk. Season with salt, pepper and additional curry powder (if needed), heat thoroughly and serve.
I served my soup gratinéed style with Gruyère cheese and thinly sliced pieces of garlic buttered crostini.
