This Butternut Squash Soup with Caramelized Apples and Maple Cider Cream is made with butternut squash and apple cider perfect for fall.
There are only a few of you who aren’t getting soup weather (I’m looking at you Phoenix).
But where I’m at we are in full on chilly weather.
Which means spaniel snuggles, sweatshirts (and pants let’s be honest), blankets, hot chocolate, and soup!
I love butternut squash soup but everywhere I go they seem to put curry in it…and I don’t like curry.
Even this Butternut Squash Soup with Caramelized Apples that this is adapted from is a curried butternut squash soup.
So non-curry lovers who also like butternut squash soup unite! 🙂
I have made a soup for us.
This does run on the sweet side but you can throw in a dash of cayenne to cut that if you like.
The winners for the Quaker Off You Go contest were contacted via email today (half have responded back already) so please check your emails (and spam) to see if you won.
I was going to list the winners but most people give just their first name and that confuses people.
4 pounds butternut squash (about 2 medium), cubed…I bought mine pre-cut and weighed them out
1 TBSP olive oil
2 tsp. sea salt
2 TBSP unsalted butter
1 large sweet onion
1 TBSP minced fresh ginger
4 cups chicken broth
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 cup apple cider (juice)
Salt and pepper to taste
For the Apple Topping:
1 large apple, I used Gala
1 TBSP unsalted butter
1 TBSP brown sugar
Pinch of salt
For the Maple Cider Cream:
1/3 cup sour cream
¼ cup maple syrup
1 TBSP apple cider
Pinch of cayenne if you like a touch of heat
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F.
Place the cubed squash in a large bowl and coat with oil and then 2 tsp. salt.
Place on a baking sheet with parchment paper and roast until tender. I had larger pieces so it took about 50 minutes. Just watch it.
The last 20 minutes of the squash cooking start to prepare the soup.
Add the 2 TBSP butter, onions, and ginger to a large, heavy stockpot.
Cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.When squash is cool, put into the stock pot and mash with a potato masher. If you don’t get it all don’t worry it’s going to be blended later.
Add the broth and apple juice and stir well.
Continue to cook on medium to bring soup up to a simmer, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook for another 30 minutes.
While the soup is cooking make the cider cream and apples.
For the Apple Topping:
Peel, core, and dice the apple into uniform ¼ inch cubes (do your best).
Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the apples, stirring often, until the apples start to caramelize, about 3 minutes.
Add the brown sugar and salt and cook until the sugar melts and coats the apples.
Remove from pan and set aside.
For the cream:
Whisk together in a small bowl the sour cream, maple syrup, cider vinegar, and cayenne (if using) until fully combined.Set aside in the fridge until ready to use. I out mine in a squeeze bottle for decoration purposes on the soup.
To finish the soup:
When the soup is done cooking, use an immersion blender to puree it smooth. If you don’t own one like me then you can use a blender and very carefully puree in batches before returning to the pot. Just be careful because of it being so hot.
Stir in the apple cider and season with salt and pepper to your liking.If the soup is too thick you can thin with more stock or apple juice.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with maple cider cream and caramelized apples.
Dry cooking methods such as roasting and sauteeing tend to bring a squash's sugars to the fore. You might want to blanch or par-cook the squash in a little bit of water before sauteeing; that would diminish the sweetness somewhat but allow you to finish the dish in the prescribed fashion.
How do you make butternut squash soup less bland? The key is to season it correctly. I use ground sage and nutmeg which both enhance the flavors of butternut squash and bring out its natural sweetness. Stir in full-fat coconut milk to make this soup extra-creamy, and don't forget the salt and pepper!
If your soup becomes too sweet for your taste, try adding a little salt to tame down the sweetness or 1 teaspoon of apple cider or white vinegar. Be sure to taste test after each addition so that you do not change the taste of the soup too much or make it too salty.
What happened? It's no coincidence that the butternut squash soup had fermented, alcoholic notes. Indeed, fermented rice turns out to be the culprit here. Rice is high in starch, which is relatively easy to ferment.
If your dish is a little too sweet, try rounding out the sweetness by adding flavors or ingredients that are sour, bitter, or spicy. It may be obvious not to add more sweet ingredients, but you should also stay away from salty ones since they actually bring out the sweetness in food.
Thankfully there's a one-size fits all solution in your pantry that will solve the problem of overly salty or sweet soup: vinegar. It may seem too easy, but a few splashes of vinegar really can make your food taste less salty or sweet.
Yellow onion and garlic – These veggies add delicious depth of flavor. Fresh sage and rosemary – I don't reach for rosemary as often as some other fresh herbs, but I absolutely love it here. Along with the sage, it makes this soup cozy and complex.
If it's underripe, the squash won't have developed its signature taste. If it's overripe, it may be dry, mushy or flavorless. Follow these tips the next time you're at the grocery store or farmers market to find the perfect recipe-ready butternut squash.
If a soup is tasting bland in the bowl, consider adding acid rather than salt. A squeeze of lemon or lime, or a dash of yogurt or sour cream can add brightness to the bowl. Start with the basics. Ensure you've added enough salt and black pepper.
Adding spices can enhance the taste of food. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice, mace, cardamom and star anise are commonly associated with sweetness. These spices are often used in baked goods and pair especially well with fruit dishes. Vanilla extract can also make food seem sweeter, perhaps due to its aroma.
Carrots and parsnips have a fair amount of sugar in them and can make a soup or gravy sweet if you use too many. Ditto onions, but if you only used one that won't be the culprit. Perhaps not the pickle next time.
When taken by mouth: Butternut is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people, but it can cause diarrhea and irritation of the stomach and intestines. Pregnancy and breast-feeding: It's LIKELY UNSAFE to use butternut in large amounts if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. It might stimulate the bowels too much.
As the veggies hit the boiling water, volatile acids are released into the water and are carried away in the steam. When the pot is covered, the steam and the acids it contains are forced back into the water. Once there, the acids react with the chlorophyll in the vegetables, turning them an unsightly shade of brown.
If your dish tastes too sour try to add sweetness—think sugar, honey (it's healthy!), cream or even caramelized onions. You can also dilute the dish (same as you would with a dish with too much salt). As a last resort, add a pinch of baking soda to make the dish more alkaline.
Start with just a splash or teaspoon and taste, so you can ensure that the recipe is balanced. You can always add more if necessary. Virtually any vinegar can help correct food that's too sweet, but white, red wine, white wine, and apple cider usually work the best.
i recommend countering that sweetness with a bit of acid — a squeeze of lemon or some vinegar. you probably won't need too much, just add a bit and taste. if you need more, add gradually.
How to Make Food Less Sweet. Add an acid or seasonings such as vinegar or citrus juice; chopped fresh herbs; a dash of cayenne pepper; or, for sweet dishes, a bit of liqueur or espresso powder.
The flesh of the butternut squash is a deep orange color, with a distinctive butterscotch flavor that most people find delicious. They are quite tasty either steamed or baked and are excellent topped with maple syrup! The smaller squash tend to be the sweetest.
Introduction: My name is Frankie Dare, I am a funny, beautiful, proud, fair, pleasant, cheerful, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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