Recipe for Curried Butternut Squash with Carmelized Apples and Homemade Croutons
This curried butternut squash is a truly delicious way to make the most of seasonal gourds. The aroma is wonderful and the addition of toppings like carmelized apples and home made croutons take this dish to the next level. This low-cost recipe can be made ahead or in stages and reheated easily for a delicious, nutrient dense and scratch cooked meal. If you like the idea of incorporating more soups into your diet, make sure to check out our upcoming class Soup: it's what's for dinner. You'll learn techniques and practice recipes that will improve your soups right away.
Easy method for a Butternut Breakdown
1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit
2. Prepare a shallow baking dish by adding about 3/4inch of water.
3. Cut your squash into quarters.
4. Remove seeds and fibrous strands - add to your compost bin.
5. Place squash rind side up in the water and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until soft.
6. Remove from the hot water and let cool until it's safe to handle.
7. Using a spoon, scrape the now soft squash off the rind. You can incorporate this directly into your soup recipe.
Ingredients for the Soup
1 Tbsp. Canola Oil
1 medium Onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1in cubes
6 cups Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth (using bouillon cubes is fine)
1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp curry powder
½ tsp salt, and to taste
½ cup Honey
1 cup ½ and ½
Soup Instructions
Heat oil over medium heat in a 6-quart stockpot.
Add onions and garlic, sauté until soft but brown, about 6 to 7 minutes.
Add the Butternut Squash, broth, curry powder, and salt. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Remove soup mixture from heat, stir in honey, 2 cups of the caramelized apple mixture, and the ½ and ½ .
Puree in batches in a blender until smooth. Season with salt, to taste.
Ladle soup into bowl, place a crouton slice on each serving. Then top the bread with remaining apple mixture. Garnish with yogurt.
Ingredients for the Carmelized Apples
3 cups of Fresh Apples
2 Tablespoons Butter
4 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
Carmelized Apple Instructions
Dice the apples into small cubes. You can peel the apples if you prefer, but it isn't necessary.
In a sauté pan, place apples, brown sugar, and butter over medium. Stir often and cook the apples until soft and caramelized.
Remove from heat
Ingredients for Croutons
Loaf of French Bread (preferably day old)
2 Tablespoons Butter
Salt and Pepper
Herbs to taste
Croutons Instructions
Cut French bread (preferably day old) into angled, thin slices.
Drop several tsp butter into a pan over medium heat. Once melted, the butter should cover the bottom of the pan.
Place sliced bread in the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper as well as herbs to taste.
Cook on each side until browned and crisp. Set aside until you're ready to top your bowls of soup.
