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Food Recipes

Geoffrey Zakarian’s Recipe for Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

We enjoy this cold-weather soup every year, often by the fire. For parties, we prepare the soup ahead of time, and then we put on a big pot for guests to help themselves. This keeps the mess in the kitchen low and gives us something yummy to sneak off with and eat.

Serves 4

  • 4 tablespoons unmelted butter
  • 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 4 cups)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 tart apples, peeled, cored, and cubed
  • 1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, for garnish

Recommended Tools

  • Immersion blender or regular blender

Melt the butter in a large soup or stockpot over medium heat. Add the squash, onion, apples, and curry powder and sauté for 5 minutes.

Add the flour, stirring well to combine. Add the broth, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the squash is very tender. Let cool for a few minutes.

With an immersion blender, puree the soup in the pot until smooth. Alternatively, carefully puree in batches in a regular blender. Stir in the half-and-half.

Reheat soup gently if necessary, and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with toasted pine nuts and serve.

Recipe Notes

Pine nuts can be toasted in a pan on the stovetop or roasted on a sheet pan in a 325-degree-F oven for 12 minutes. Give a little shake as they cook. Watch them carefully, because they can burn quickly!

If using a regular blender, be careful with hot liquids.