Made with Mettā: Curried Squash Apple Soup
Serves 6–8
Greetings All!
Fall has arrived, and with it, seasonal favorites like deep orange squashes and freshly picked apples. This pairing is the substance of a new favorite soup here at the center. The creamy, curried version is one we’ve made most often and where my personal preference lies.
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into roughly 1-inch pieces
- 1 large apple, peeled, cored, and cut into roughly 1-inch pieces
- 1 quart veggie or “No-Chicken” bouillon
- 1 Tbsp margarine
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1–3 tsp curry powder (depending on your taste)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ cup raw cashews, soaked in 2 cups hot, boiled water for 1 hour or more, covered
- ½ cup soy, rice, almond, or other rich plant milk of your choice
Directions
1. Put the prepared squash and apple in a pot with enough broth so you can just see it below the surface of the squash/apple chunks. Simmer until very tender, about 15–20 minutes.
2. In a sauté pan, put the margarine and olive oil. Put on the heat until the margarine is melted and you get a little sizzle when you put a piece of the onion in. Add the onion and celery and cook (stirring frequently) until just softened.
3. Add the softened onions and celery to the squash/apple mix.
4. At this point, you have some choices to make. We like to blend the mix with our stick blender, but this is not compulsory! If you’d like a chunkier soup, leave it as it is. Now is also the time to spice your soup. I like regular curry powder, but feel free to experiment. Adjust the curry powder, salt, and pepper to your liking.
5. If you are using cashew cream, add your soaked cashews to the blender with your plant milk of choice and blend until very smooth. Add this creaminess to your soup and serve! This soup is exceedingly good with croutons floating in it or crusty bread to dip.
If you are feeling adventurous, consider spicing the soup with any of the following: red pepper, coriander, cumin, parsley. The cooked squash/apple mix is a wonderful base you can successfully take in many directions.
We hope you enjoy this cozy soup and look forward to seeing you in the kitchen!
Warmly,
