Butternut Squash & Apple Soup w/ Sweet Potato Chips

I saw butternut squash for sale the other day and figured if the Pumpkin Spice Latte’s are back, that I would stop fighting the transition in to fall season and enjoy the fall foods! I found a popular butternut squash soup recipe on SparkRecipes.com and made a few changes. I removed the half & half unknowingly, as the recipe was so smooth and “creamy” that it didn’t occur to me that any dairy needed to be added when I was done cooking.  I was also cooking with my immune system in mind (had a cold), so I substituted the sweetness of 1 apple for 2 tbsp of raw honey, added the sweet n spicy bite of fresh ginger, and added cinnamon at the end for extra fall flavor! Almond Milk makes a healthy and tasty alternative to half & half, if you prefer a creamier soup. I also just had sweet potato chips handy, but they were a perfect sweet and salty crunch to complement this comforting soup! Not too sweet, not too squashy…it’s just perfect.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 butternut squash, about 3 lbs., peeled, seeded & cut into 1” cubes
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored & chopped
• 1 tsp sweet curry (optional)
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 2 tbsp raw honey
• Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Cinnamon, to taste (optional)
• Almond milk (optional)

Directions

1. In a large soup pot, over medium heat, melt butter and sautee’ onion, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Add the squash and broth, bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low.
   Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork.
3. Add chopped apples, curry (if desired), nutmeg, ginger, and honey.
   Simmer until the apples are tender, stirring occasionally. Using a food processor or blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth.
   - Be extremely careful not to overfill the processor/blender container which could cause severe burns.
4. Return the soup to the pot and season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Serve with Sweet Potato Chips and add a dash of cinnamon, if desired. If you prefer the creamier version, stir in Almond Milk :)

Number of Servings: 12

Recipe adapted from SparkPeople user DONNAC1188.