I have had a serious addiction to butternut squash lately. Literally, twice a week I roast about two butternut squash and, so far, I have yet to tire of it. Usually, I have every intention of creating soup using the roasted deliciousness; however, once I roast them, they rarely last longer than two hours. After buying butternut squash soup four days in a row (which I may or may not have garnished with roasted squash), I vowed to take the 15 extra minutes to make my own after I roasted my next batch. I make mine without butter, cream or other dairy, making this a perfect soup to deliver loads of nutrients for almost all dietary restrictions. The soup was fabulous and I saved myself about $13 in not buying it for three different meals.

You can garnish the soup with your pleasure of the moment  (fresh herbs, creme fraiche, crispy bacon, etc). Personally, I had planned on crisping up some thick cut bacon to crumble atop the soup – but was so excited to eat it I could not wait.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Apple Soup

Serves Two to Three

Ten Garlic Cloves (or more to taste), roughly minced
One large white onion (or six or seven medium shallots), roughly diced
One to two pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
Two or three tablespoons Italian Seasoning or Herbs de Provence
One tablespoon black pepper
One teaspoon White Pepper (optional)
A couple good pinches of salt
Couple glugs good olive oil (regular, basil, garlic, or truffle)
Three red apples (I used Pink Lady), cut from the core in large sections and squeezed with lemon
Two tablespoons Thai Curry Blend or similar
Two to Three Cups of good-quality Vegetable (or Chicken) broth

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place garlic, butternut squash, and onions in a baking dish. Add oil and spices to taste, sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Bake until golden brown and squash is tender, 30 minutes.  Taste and adjust for seasoning preferences. Remove pan and add apples; continue baking for about 15 minutes. Remove and transfer to a pot with about 2 cups of vegetable or Chicken broth. Working in batches, puree the mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return to pan and taste (adding additional seasoning as necessary. Add two tablespoons of Thai Curry Blend or similar and let simmer for about five minutes.

Garnish with desired toppings ( slivered apples, crunchy bacon, shaved cheese, fresh herbs, etc). and serve with crusty bread. Can be eaten cold or hot, as soup or poured over chicken, fish or pasta for a nice sauce.