Apple and Butternut Squash

Submitted by Anne G. on Fri, 2006-10-13 01:48.
Apple and Butternut Squash Soup (I brought this to the community sabbath at the beginning of September...everyone seemed to enjoy it, and it's pretty simple).

2 Tbsp butter (you could use olive oil if you're vegan)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 c. chopped leek
6 c. chopped butternut squash
3 c. tart apples, peeled and diced roughly
6 1/2 c. vegetable stock

Melt the butter in a largish saucepan; add the leeks and allow them to caramelize a bit (yum!). Add the garlic and saute briefly. Inhale the intoxicating aroma and give thanks for the onion family.
Add the squash and apples and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to caramelize.
Add the vegetable stock and simmer for about 45 minutes, until they're nice and tender.
If you have an immersion blender, now's the time to use it. If not, transfer by batches into a blender and blend until smooth.
If you're not feeling strictly local, add some coriander, chili powder, cinnamon and/or black pepper--the flavors play nicely with the sweet-tartness of the squash and apple.

Time: About an hour, depending on how proficient a chopper/peeler you are--less time for Susan, more for me. Most of this is just simmering.

Cost: You could get everything for 6 hearty servings of this soup for 5 bucks at the Farmer's market.

Nutrition: I'm not sure how stable these nutrients are upon cooking, but squash has tons of vitamin A and vitamin C and crazy levels of other phytonutrients... And, of course, this is a pretty low-fat food.