Butternut Squash and Apple Soup Garnished with Maple and Bacon
Submitted by Renee Gannon
Ingredients
– Four granny smith apples
– Cinnamon
– Brown Sugar
– Nutmeg
– Allspice
– Two pounds of butternut squash
– Bay leaves
– Chicken stock
– Yellow curry
– Salt
– Black pepper
– Powdered sage
– Pumpkin Pie Spice
– Butter (unsalted)
– Onion (Vidalia or Shallot)
– Milk (2%)
– Bacon (3-4 slices)
– Real maple syrup
Renee Notes: First, I made applesauce when I woke up on Sunday morning, I like to have it with raisin toast. I suggest making it ahead of time, then you can just keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to use it.
Apple Sauce:
Take 1/4 cup brown sugar,1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and mix together in a small bowl.  Peel four Granny Smith apples and dice them into 1/4? chunks. Put all ingredients in a pot and fill the pot with water enough so that the apples are exposed about halfway up.  This generally equates to around a cup, depending on the size of your pot. Cook the apples, sugar and spices on medium low, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, mashing with a masher by hand periodically.  Enjoy the sweet smells of cinnamon and apples filling your home.  You’ll never find a candle that smells this delicious.  Once the apples are mashed to your liking (I like mine a little on the chunky side), let them cool then refrigerate until ready to use.
Butternut Squash Soup:
Start by dicing two lbs butternut squash, into 1/2? cubes.  Pour 2 cups of chicken stock in a pot; add 1-2 tsp of yellow curry, 3 bay leaves, a generous crackling of fresh-cracked pepper, salt (1-2 tsp), 1 tsp powdered sage, a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of pumpkin pie spice. Bring to a boil. Add the diced butternut squash and reduced to medium low heat and cook uncovered for 30-40 minutes, mashing periodically (like you did with the applesauce).
While the squash is cooking, dice half a Vidalia onion or a Shallot and saute in about a tsp of butter until almost caramelized. Add 2-3 heaping tbsp of the homemade applesauce to the onion mixture and cook for about 8 more minutes on medium-low. Set aside.
When your squash is done, remove the bay leaves and you should find that most of the liquid will be gone and the squash will be cooked down;  it should be very mashed and a little on the thicker side. Add the apple onion mixture to the squash and mix together thoroughly. Add about a half cup of milk and 2 tbsp of unsalted butter and mix through until melted. If you think the squash mixture is too thick, you can add a little water to thin it out or leave it thick, depending on how you like it.  Taste.  Adjust seasoning accordingly, as needed.
Add half the squash/apple mixture to a blender and blend on medium for about a minute or until it’s as smooth as a baby’s bottom. Pour into a bowl. Add the other half of the mashed squash/apple mixture and repeat. When all the squash/apple mixture is blended, return to the pot and heat for about 5 more minutes on medium.
Serve immediately. Garnish with chopped bacon and a drizzle of real maple syrup. Enjoy. You can thank me later.
Extra Notes: Wash this soup down with a Shipyard Pumpkin head – a little of the applesauce spice mixture (from above) does wonders around the rim of a frosty, chilled glass.