Curried Acorn Squash, Sweet Potato and Apple Soup

Did you know that Linda over at The Gluten-Free Homemaker has been hosting a Squash Fest? Every week, she has a guest blogger sharing a delicious recipe using various kinds of winter squash. It’s a delicious series – there are spaghetti squash casseroles, a butternut squash dessert with dates, and if you need a crash course in winter squashes and how to roast them, check out Linda’s run-down of varieties of squash or a great tutorial on roasting butternut squash. This coming Thursday, I’ll be sharing a stuffed acorn squash recipe. I can’t wait to see what else is featured!

Meanwhile, I had a mountain of acorn squash (I went a little overboard at the farmers’ market) in my kitchen. I decided to stretch it over two meals. The first night, I simply roasted all of the squash halves and served them as a side dish. The second night, I made this soup with the leftovers. While I love roasted squash, this soup was definitely the winner in terms of delicious flavor. Sweet, savory, creamy, and with just a touch of warmth from the curry powder – this soup was one of my favorite soups to date. This recipe made quite a bit of soup – enough for me to freeze leftovers for easy lunches. It’ll definitely make future appearances in my kitchen throughout the winter.

Curried Acorn Squash, Sweet Potato and Apple Soup

2 T grapeseed or olive oil

3 1/2 c mashed, roasted acorn squash (about 4 acorn squash)

1 1/2 c cooked sweet potato, mashed (about 1 large sweet potato)

1 t minced fresh ginger

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 apple (I used a Granny Smith), peeled and chopped

1 T fresh sage leaves, chopped

5 c vegetable stock (you can use chicken stock if you prefer)

1 c almond milk

1/2 t cinnamon

1 t Jamaican curry powder (recipe below) or Madras curry powder

1/2 t ground coriander

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil, for drizzling

In a large stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add the acorn squash, sweet potato, ginger, onion, garlic, and apple and saute for 5-6 minutes or until the onions are softened. Add the sage, broth, almond milk, and spices and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Remove from heat, and using a hand blender, puree the soup until smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, you can puree the soup in batches using a traditional blender or food processor.) Season with salt and pepper to taste and reutrn to heat to warm. If soup is too thick, add additional broth or water. If too thin, allow to simmer until at desired consistency. Serve with a bit of olive oil drizzled over the soup.

Serves 5-6.

Jamaican Curry Powder Blend

4 T Madras curry powder

2 t ground coriander

2 t ground cumin

1/2 t dry mustard

1/2 t turmeric

1/2 t cayenne

1/2 t cinnamon

1 T ground allspice

Mix spices together well and store in an airtight container.