Roasted Squash and Apple Soup

Last weekend I was at the Farmers’ Market buying local produce and decided I wanted to make a squash soup.  I didn’t have a recipe per se so I surfed the web and found a couple recipes, BC Tree and Home Made Soups, from which I made this soup.  Winter squash has a mild, sweet flavor and is finely textured. Squash is a vegetable that was once an important part of the diet of the Native Americans so much so that they buried it along with the dead to provide them nourishment on their final journey.  Squash is an excellent source of vitamin A and a good source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, dietary fiber.

Serves 6-8

2 apples, unpeeled, cored, cut in half
1 medium acorn squash, peeled and cut in half (can also use butternut squash)
olive oil for drizzling

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 cups chicken stock or broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Parsley, optional

Preheat oven to 400° F (200° C). Place apples and squash in a shallow pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg.  Bake for 35 minutes or until tender. In saucepan, add chicken stock, apple and peeled squash. Bring to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Puree in blender to desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve topped with freshly chopped parsley.


The Culinary Chase’s Note:  Roasting helps to bring out the sweetness in the squash.  Add more stock if you like the soup to be a thinner consistency. Try adding roasted garlic to the soup and top with grated apple.  Delish!