Autumn Harvest Soup

The countdown to Thanksgiving is on! We are just days away from stuffing our faces and eating our daily allotment of calories in one meal, and I can't wait! :) But before the caloric, cholesterol inducing meal begins, why not start out with a healthy and hearty soup that has all of the flavors of fall blended in?

The recipe I created for Autumn Harvest Soup came from a lot of time spent in the kitchen developing flavors, while trying to keep the soup as nutritionally sound as possible. I know we don't usually care about nutrition on T-day, but this soup is delicious enough to be a staple meal and get you through the next few cold months, right into Spring. 

I had fun playing with a few varieties of squash to mix up the traditional variety of butternut squash soup and create something unique to bring to the table. If you were like me, looking at the beautiful display of squash varieties at the grocery store and not knowing the first thing about how to use them in a recipe, this soup is your answer.

From left to right:Acorn, Carnival and Butternut varieties of squash.

For a small appetizer, serve the soup in a 2 oz. shot glass with a breadstick standing out like a straw. Garnish with a few curried pumpkin seeds and a sprinkling of bacon crumbles.

Autumn Harvest Soup

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped (or 20 oz package precut)

2 Acorn squash, peeled, seeded and chopped (I used Carnival and regular varieties)

1 med sweet onion, sliced into ¼” chunks

3 T. olive oil

1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree (plain, not spiced)

2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup apple cider

1 cup applesauce

1 cup of 2% milk or almond milk(vegan)

2 T honey

2 T. curry powder

1 T  pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. ginger powder

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

Pumpkin seeds and cashews for garnish (see below)

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper for seeds

Fresh chives, cream and/or croutons for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 445°F. Toss squash and onion with olive oil and 1 T. of curry powder.

2. Roast on a foil covered cookie sheet for 25-30 minutes, until fork tender. Let cool 5 minutes.

3. Puree the roasted squash and onion in the blender until smooth with one cup of the apple cider. This may take two batches to complete. Do not overfill the blender.

4.  Combine the blender puree, pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, applesauce, honey and all of the spices and seasonings in a large stockpot over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil. Whisk for one minute to combine while the soup begins to heat. Stir in milk.

5. Simmer on low for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust any seasonings as necessary, depending on the sweetness of the squash, you may have to adjust seasonings slightly. Serve with roasted curried cashews and pumpkin seeds, chives and a splash of cream, or the garnish of your choice.

Curried Cashews & Pumpkin Seeds:

After you have moved the cooled squash to the blender after roasting, reuse the cookie sheet to roast the pumpkin seeds and cashews.

Lightly spray the nuts and seeds with oil. Sprinkle curry powder and cayenne pepper over the top. Toss to coat and shake flat and even. Roast for 3-5 minutes, until lightly browned and remove to cool.