Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Curry Soup

This is my all-time favorite winter soup. I love the combination of sweet from the apples and umami flavors from the curry and squash. It is winter comfort food at its best. This creamy soup is vegan and gets its velvety texture from puréeing the soup at the end. I adapted this from an Ina Garten recipe and gave it a healthier twist. This makes a large batch, so you may freeze leftovers in a glass container.

Roasted butternut squash and apple soup

4 tablespoons olive oil

3 large yellow onions - chopped

1 tablespoon curry powder (or more to taste)

5 pounds butternut squash

4 apples - cored, peeled and cut into chunks

2 teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ to 1 cup good quality apple cider

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut the squash in half and brush with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place the squash halves on a foil lined baking sheet and roast for 1 hour or until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork.  Let cool a bit and then remove the flesh from the skin with a spoon and reserve in a bowl.

Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat.  Add the onions and curry powder and cook uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until the onions are tender.  Add squash, apples, salt, pepper and 2 cups of water to the pot.  Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot and cook for 30 to 40 minutes.  Using a hand held emulsifier (if you are fortunate to have one for this task) or a food processor, purée the soup.  Add the apple cider and enough water to make the soup the consistency that you like.  It should be a bit thick and slightly sweet.  Check the seasoning and serve hot.