Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

Butternut squash happens to be one of my favorite vegetables, and yet I hardly ever cook it.  For some reason it only occurs to me to make it around the holidays, and then I forget about it for the rest of the year.  So, I recently decided I need to incorporate it into our lives more often.  That's when this soup came to mind....well, that and the fact that it was 5 below zero the other morning and cold weather always makes me crave soup.  Soup always hits the spot on a cold winter day. 

I love the combination of squash with the apples in this soup.  I also like that it's thick and filling.  One bowl for lunch and I'm stuffed, which in my book that makes it perfect!  It's also a wonderful soup for a first course when having company.  Since I've fallen off the wagon when it comes to eating healthy lately, I think this soup will make an appearance on my table more often in the coming months.    

 Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 apples, peeled & cored and cut into chunks
2 1/2 lbs butternut squash, peeled with seeds removed and cut into chunks
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup water +
1/2 cup apple cider
1/2 cup half & half
1 tsp salt
1/4 pepper
1/2 tsp coriander 
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat, then add the diced onions.  Cook until onions are tender, stirring occasionally. 

Add the cut squash, apples, coriander, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cider, water and chicken stock and 1/2 & 1/2 to the pot.  Bring to a boil, cover and cook on medium-low for about 45 minutes or until squash and apples are soft.  Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to puree it until almost smooth (you can use a food processor if you don't have an immersion blender).  After it's blended you may want to add more water or stock to get the consistency you prefer - I added another 3/4 cup of water.  The soup should be thick, but you can thin it out if that's how you like it.