The Best Soup in the Whole World

As the days have started darkening much earlier, I'm less and less able to capture pictures of my food in the natural light.

The result? Sub-par food photos, lit only by my dinky dining room light.

Perhaps most importantly though, I also owe apologies to the delicious bowl of soup pictured here. He was so rich, so creamy, so bursting with flavor...he most certainly deserved a cover-model, natural-light photo that would highlight his best features.

Friends, I think I may have actually made the best soup in the world this week. Yes: the whole world.

Put your chili to rest. File away those bisque recipes. Forget the chowder. "The Best Soup in the Whole World" is otherwise known as "Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup." I can't believe it's taken me this long to discover it.

I owe credit, of course, to Ina Garten for inspiring this ridiculously scrumptious combination: roasted butternut squash, roasted apples, and curry powder. Those three ingredients alone form the base for this super-simple, super-flavorful soup.

After you find "The Best Soup in the Whole World," there's not much left to say, is there?

Except, "I'm sorry my picture doesn't do you justice."

What's your favorite soup recipe?

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

(adapted from a recipe in Ina Garten's Back to Basics Cookbook)

The curry powder and apples are what make this particular squash soup stand out from the rest. Ina suggests garnishing with chopped cashews (as I pictured here), but when I took the leftovers in my lunch, I ended up using toasted walnuts instead.

Ingredients:

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 3 large apples, diced
• 1 onion diced
• a little olive oil
• 2 - 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2 - 3/4 tsp. curry powder
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat two large baking sheets with cooking spray.

2) Place squash, apples, and onion in a large bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to evenly coat. Place them in a single layer on the baking sheets, and roast for about 35 minutes (or until softened), tossing occasionally.

3) Meanwhile, bring the stock to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add the curry powder.

4) When the veggies are done, process them in a food processor with the stock (since I have a mini food processor, I did mine in 3 small batches--a little veggies, a little stock each time). Season with salt and pepper.

5) Serve with cashews (or toasted walnuts, as I later discovered!). Don't forget to thank Ina for introducing you to "The Best Soup in the Whole World."