Butternut Squash Soup, Take 2

A few days ago, I posted a recipe for a super-simple, super-scrumptious Butternut Squash Soup. Unaware of how many squash to buy for that particular dish, I bought 2 and ended up needing only 1. And so, here is Butternut Squash Soup, take 2.

I know, I could make myriad other recipes with my squash, but it’s cold and rainy, and who doesn’t love soup on a cold and rainy day?

This time I went for a more “gourmet” soup, Creamy Butternut Squash and Ginger-Apple Soup from **Starfish Café: Changing Lives One Recipe at a Time. The basics are the same: Sauté some onion in butter. Add squash and broth, and purée everything when tender. The “gourmet” part of this comes in the addition of apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, saffron, and yogurt. Yummy indeed.

Now, before you rush out to buy the ingredients and notice that saffron is crazy expensive, let me tell you something—saffron is crazy expensive. Don’t feel like you have to add it. Many recipes I read encourage using turmeric in place of saffron (it adds the color but not the flavor), or you may simply omit the saffron.

Without further ado, here it is!

Creamy Butternut Squash and Ginger-Apple Soup

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

½ yellow onion, chopped

1 (2-pound) butternut squash, chopped into 1-inch pieces

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped

2 pinches Spanish saffron threads

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (we used ground nutmeg)

Pinch of cinnamon

1 cup plain yogurt (we used Greek yogurt)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a stockpot over medium heat and add the onion. Sauté for 4 to 6 minutes or until the onion is tender. Add the squash, broth and ginger and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

Simmer for 20 minutes or until the squash is almost tender. Stir in the apples, saffron, nutmeg and cinnamon and simmer for 15 minutes or until the apples are tender, stirring occasionally.

           

Process the soup in batches in a food processor or blender until puréed. Return to the stockpot and stir in the yogurt. Season with salt and pepper. Reheat over low heat and ladle into soup bowls.

**Starfish Café is a restaurant in Savannah, GA, which provides culinary training and experience to individuals who have experienced hardships. It was featured on the Today Show in 2005. Read more about Starfish Café and Union Mission at www.unionmission.org.