Squash Soup

I love warm soup during the cold fall and winter months. And this is a great one! Creamy, smooth, with just a hint of spice. It went well with the Pinot Gris that's currently in my refrigerator as well.

A few weeks ago I picked up an acorn squash; now I know why it was only a $1. Have you ever tried to peel one? Not nearly as easy as a butternut squash. All those ridges sure make for a challenge! Next time I'll use a butternut instead - I think the flavor will work just as well and it'll be a lot easier to peel. Don't skip roasting and caramelizing the vegetables before combining the ingredients, it adds flavor and dimension to the soup. I came up with this recipe after consulting quite a few online. Picking out the best of each recipe, this is the result:

Squash Soup
1 acorn or butternut squash, peeled and chopped
2 large carrots, chopped slightly smaller than the squash
2 apples, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 c chicken broth (homemade preferably)
Chili flakes, to taste
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. fresh grated ginger root
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked pepper
Olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half and scraped out the seeds. Peel and chop into roughly 1-inch pieces. Wash and chop the carrots into slightly smaller pieces (as they are harder, they cook slower than the squash, so you want the pieces to be smaller).

2. Place squash and carrots on a large baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and a little salt and pepper. Mix with your hands. Roast for about 30 minutes, until both squash and carrots can easily be pierced with a fork.

3. While the veggies are roasting, heat about 1 1/2  T olive oil in a large pot. Add diced onion and caramelize over low heat. It should be cooking slow enough that you can walk away and come back every few minutes to stir without it burning. It will take 15-20 minutes for the onion to caramelize.

4. When squash and carrots are cooked, add them to the pot along with the apples, chili flakes, nutmeg and fresh ginger. Add 4 cups of chicken stock and a large pinch of salt and pepper. (If using store-bought chicken stock, you might want to hold off on the salt and add to taste later so as to not make it overly salty.) Simmer for
about 20 minutes until apples are soft.

5. Using a food processor or blender, blend the soup in batches to reach a smooth consistency - this will have to be done in multiple batches. Mix the batches together and add 1/3-1/2 cup fat free half and half. Stir until well blended. Taste and adjust seasonings to preference.

6. Serve with a dollop of low-fat sour cream.

Enjoy!