Wonderful Wednesday Recipe: Creamy Gala Apple, Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

Before launching into today’s recipe, I wanted to take a moment to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who left Valentine’s Day wishes for me over the weekend; it was such a joy to share Cupid’s special day with you all for the first time on Chronically Vintage. I really hope that you each had a marvelous February 14th!

I should also mention that this post brings my "blogcation" to an end. Even though I’ve been under the weather for several of the days I was "off", I really cannot believe how immensely fast an entire week and a half whipped past.

During my time away from actively blogging, I was able to catch up on a sizable portion of my (massively overdue for a reply!) emails and various other online tasks I’d hoped to accomplish, as well as to (finally) do a few things around the house that I’d been yearning to take care of for some time, yet never seemed to have enough hours in the day to quite accomplish.

While I don’t feel like I’ve just returned from a dazzlingly lovely tropical holiday, I do genuinely feel a renewed sense of blogging energy. I’ve better come to terms with the issue that was plaguing me heavily regarding staying abreast with my blog comments, and have also decided that I simply have to allow myself a little R&R sometimes (we all do!).

Once more I extend my deepest and most sincere of thanks to all those who have left comments for me over the past few weeks. Your encouraging, caring, friendly words have been a true help to me. I’ve missed you all dearly, dear friends, and look forward everything that the feature holds in store for Chronically Vintage!



Creamy Gala Apple, Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

The alternative title for this dish– the one by which it’s best know around my kitchen – is “comfort soup”, for that’s what it instantly delivers to anyone who sits down before a bowl of it. Mild, yet far from bland, nourishing (you can practically feel the many wonderful nutrients from the squash, yams, carrots and apples seeping into your body with each steaming spoonful) and absolutely perfect during the winter months, this soup is exactly what I need today to help banish the rather unpleasant sinus cold I woke up with on Monday morning!

It’s by no means essential that you use Gala apples here, though I do prefer a sweeter apple such as Red Delicious or Pink Lady if I’m out of Galas (if you like would like a bit of tartness, feel free to use Granny Smith instead) – you could even opt for ripe, juicy pears instead of apples should the desire strike.

As with many soup recipes, this one is forgiving. You can forgo the squash and increase the amount of yams (or vice versa), omit the ginger, nutmeg or cinnamon and spring for a jolt of zing with a little curry powder, paprika or lightly sautéed shallots sprinkled over the top right before serving (actually, I have employed shallots before even when I’ve kept the cinnamon in place).



{As if I’d possible contemplate using any other kind! ;-D If you’ve got a hankering for both carrots and a beautiful piece of artwork featuring this humble root vegetable, you can pick up this charming vintage inspired Old Fashion Carrot print for $12.99 (US) from art.com.}

There’s something both heartily rustic and yet so elegantly refined about this soup. It calls to mind quite weekend afternoons spent watching the snow fall tranquilly, the pleasure of happily flowing conversation and many requests for second helpings.


Ingredients

• 4 cups of (homemade or good quality store bought) vegetable broth

• 2-3 medium sized carrots peeled and sliced into circles (thickness of your choice)

• 2 Gala apples peeled, cored and sliced

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed

• 1 large yam, peeled and cubed

• 4 tbsp of butter or margarine

• ¾ cup cream (either single or double, the choice is yours)

• ¼ tsp nutmeg, cinnamon or ginger (optional)

• ½ tsp sea salt (or to taste)

• Freshly milled pepper (to taste)


Directions

In a large, heavy bottomed sauce pot combine the vegetable stock, butternut squash, yam and nutmeg, cinnamon or ginger. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 15 minutes over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium and add in the sliced carrots and gala apples. Continue cooking for about 20 minutes (or until the vegetables are cooked through), stirring often.

Next, take the pot off the stove and carefully pour the soup base through a colander, into a large bowl or another large pot, but do not discard either the stock liquid or the apples and vegetables. Return the stock to the pot, but not the veggies and apples. Next puree the vegetables and apples with a hand-held mixer or in the food processor (even a sturdy blender would work, if you don’t have a stick mixer or food processor – I’ve made it this way many times and it always comes out great).

Reintroduce the pureed vegetable and apple mixture into the broth over medium heat; add in the cream, butter and salt and black pepper. Stir often and bring to a rapid simmer (but not quite a full-on boil), reduce the heat and cook for another 5-10 minutes depending on the consistency that you prefer (the longer you cook this soup for the, the thicker it becomes).

Serve while nicely warm, ladling ample portions into soup dishes or generous sized cappuccino mugs. Should there happen to be any, leftovers can be stored (covered) in the fridge for up to 3 days.

I adore serving this delicious soup with fresh or toasted slices of French or sourdough bread, homemade apple butter (to keep the apple theme going), and a little jug of fresh cream to be passed around and drizzled into the bowls by all those you may be sharing your table with you.

Serves 3-4 as a starter or light lunch

Bon appétit!