BUTTERNUT SQUASH, APPLE, + ONION SOUP

If you know me,
you know I love food.

I love all kinds of food, I don't discriminate and will give anything a chance.  Although, I will admit to mostly loving super down-homestyle dishes.  I love rich flavors and slightly heavy meals, I should weigh 100 pounds more than I do.  My friends always tease me and say I could put gravy or alfredo sauce on anything and I'm known for sending all my friends into food comas.  

Although, this season brings about one great homestyle favorite in particular: the pureéd soup.  I could eat soup and bread for dinner every winter night. With that being said, I made an attempt at cooking one of my favorites. To my surprise, making butternut squash, apple and onion soup was so much easier than I imagined.  

So I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did and check out my pureéd Potato Leek Soup too (here). 



| what you will need to make the soup :


: ( two ) peeled and chopped butternut squash

: ( four ) peeled and chopped granny smith (or I like gala) apples

: ( one ) chopped white onion

: smart balance butter substitute

: ( two ) containers of organic chicken broth 

: a dash or two of yellow curry

: a touch of ground corriander

: a dash of ground cumin

: a tsp of ground ginger

: ( one ) cup of cream

: ( one ) sliced jalapeño 

: ( spoonful ) of crema 

: fresh lemons


| FIRST chop onion and squash (you can buy it pre-peeled and cleaned) 

| PUT the squash and onion in a large pot and let it start to cook down with 2 spoonfuls of butter.

| PEEL and cut the apples, then place aside to give the squash and onion a head start.
Also place some apple aside finely diced with drizzled with fresh squeezed lemon (for garnish).

| CONTINUE cooking down the squash and onion over a medium heat. 

| THEN add enough broth to cover the potatoes and apples. Continue to cook down on a medium heat. 

| what you will need to make the chicken :

: almonds

: candied pecans

: light brown sugar

: garlic and onion powder 

: salt

: pepper 

: beaten eggs 


| PROCESS all the dry ingredients into a fine powder - I use a mini chopper used for coffee beans.

| DIP chicken into egg and then the "breadcrumb" mixture

| HEAT the oil in a pan and then add the chicken, don't flip until the first side gets nice and golden. 


| KEEP occasionally stirring the squash and apples.  Let them continue to cook if they look like this.  

  
| TURN off the heat when they look like this.

| SCOOP out all the cooked down ingredients and put into a high power blender. 

| PULL the almond fried chicken out of the pan and place onto paper towels.



|  PUREÉ the squash, apples and onions until, while adding broth to make it light and smooth.
Here is where I like to add the cream in, but this is totally optional.

| PUT it back into the pot on a low simmer until perfect. 

| SLICE the chicken and the jalapeños thinly, remove the seeds if you want a little less spice.



| what you will need for the salad :


: fresh pumpernickel bread

: mixed greens

: grape tomatoes

: pomegranate

: feta

: olive oil

: apple vinaigrette reduction


| TOSS greens, half the tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic.  
Then top with tomatoes, pomegranates, and feta. 

| THEN plate the salad with the chicken overtop and a apple vinaigrette drizzle.
And the soup garnished with a touch of crema, the diced apple and two slices of jalapeños. 
Add the optional buttered and toasted pumpernickel slices.



{ Spike loves Squash too! }



Comments

  1. I love food too and i can almost say the same about giving anything a try but some things are just so wrong to even look at on the plate. Anyway you did a fine job with this lovely dish. Thanks for sharing!

    http://www.thefashionstirfry.com

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  3. yum!!
    can't wait to try this for my self - love pumpkin!

    http://lavidadelozza.blogspot.com

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  4. This is so yummy Cassandra!!!
    Great recipe!
    ♥XO♥
    Jeanne

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  5. oh wow this looks really great!!! pecan crusted chicken looks really interesting! thanks for sharing!

    lifeisashoe

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  6. the soup looks yummy, perfect for winters
    Keep in touch
    www.beingbeautifulandpretty.com
    www.indianbeautydiary.com

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  7. Ok, so I'm not a big squash fan but I'm definitely going to have to try this. It looks so good and the jalapenos will be an awesome extra to spice it up, I'm a big fan of spicy foods!

    www.jerseygirltexanheart.com

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    Replies
    1. I love spicy food as well and it completes the squash perfectly!

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  8. i'm starving!!!!!!!!!!!!! And looking at your post I'm going to eat my laptop. Looks delicious


    Ewelina
    xoxoxox
    chiclifestyleofewelina.blogspot.com

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  9. This looks so perfect I am hungry now! My mum makes homemade soup and I love it cool blog :)
    Please go check out my blog and follow if you like it xx
    anotherteenontheweb.blogspot.co.uk

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  10. Delicious! Great post dear...lovely pics..:-)

    http://fairyland111.blogspot.com/

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