Friday, November 5, 2010

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."

12 comments:

  1. Hey, we gotta do what we can with light & photography :) I still think the soup looks damn good! Ina Garten, what CAN'T that woman turn into a decadent bowl of amazingness?! This looks simple and divine...though to be honest, you had me at "curry powder." :P

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  2. Well sweet girl, I'm going to take your word and give this soup a try. It sounds delicious, and I think it looks pretty damn good too! I always have a hard time shooting my food, so I feel you with that struggle. But like I said, this looks great, and I'm eager to try it!

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  3. Ok seriously how do you peel a butternut squash? It is so hard! And time consuming! I have been making fries with mine and just keep peeling and cutting sections of it so that I dont have to do the whole thing lol This soup looks amazing though! Once I figure out the peeling thing, I am gunna make it!!

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  4. I discovered this soup too and I am a MAJOR fan. I'll share three secrets.
    1. While it's scrumptious with the roasted veggies...if you don't have time, just toss them all in unroasted. It's still heavenly.
    2. Buy peeled cubed butternut squash at Costco or the supermarket. I am usually too frugal to buy prepped veggies, but this is well worth it. I hate peeling butternut squash!
    3. Use granny smiths for the best flavor.
    Thanks for a great recipe and wonderful pix in spite of the dim lighting!!!

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  5. I hate that it gets dark so early- and with our time change tonight, it'll be even worse. :( The soup does sound lovely!

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  6. I saw a similar recipe recently, and think the butternut/apple/curry combo is brilliant! And yeah...I think we're all starting to struggle with the lack of daylight. It's nice to gain an hour, but I'd rather have daylight!

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  7. It still looks so good and delicious , i agree this is the best soup and totally hearty!!
    I do my baking in the morning now so can have ''fresh''pics of the finished goodies:-)

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  8. Ina Garten is kind of our fearless leader. I just love what she whips up in the kitchen!

    Plus, besides the ordeal of wrestling with the butternut squash (I don't love it), what an easy meal to make.

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  9. Yum I love all kinds of soup! My favorite is black bean soup and lemon garlic lentil soup :)

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  10. Oh man, that DOES look like a delicious soup! Squash, apples AND nuts? Yes, please!

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  11. I made this for dinner tonight after finding your blog with a google search and I LOVED it! As did my family. Thanks so much for sharing such an amazing recipe.

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