Squash that Soup!

Curry-Scented Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash(2.5 lbs./6 c. cubed)                      
2 large, sweet apples such as Fuji or Honeycrisp           
2-3 medium onions                                                           
2 tbsp. butter                                                                  
1/4 c. packed dark brown sugar                                     
1-1/2 tbsp. curry powder
6 c. chicken broth OR vegetable stock
2 tsp. salt                 
1 container (8 oz.) mascarpone cheese *(I found this difficult to find,
so I substituted it for 1/2 c. ricotta and 1/2 c. whipping cream whisked together)
Sour cream and snipped fresh chives (optional)


1) Peel squash and apples, cut into 1" cubes and dice onions.
2) Melt butter in (8 qt) soup pot over med-low heat. Add onions; Cook 5-6 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.  Add squash, apples, brown sugar, and curry powder.  Cook and stir 1 minute or until curry powder is fragrant.  Add stock and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Simmer 24-26 minutes or until squash is very soft.  Remove from heat.
3) Carefully ladle about one-third of the squash mixture into blender container.  Cover and blend until smooth.  Pour blended soup into a big mixing bowl (6 qt). Repeat 2 times with remaining squash mixture.
4) Return soup to Stockpot and whisk in mascarpone (or ricotta/whipping cream substitute) and salt until it is completely incorporated.  Return to a simmer over medium heat and remove from heat.  Garnish each serving with sour cream and chives, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings (12 cups) 
Nutrients per serving (1.5 cups): Calories 310, Total Fat 16 g, Sat fat 9 g, Cholesterol 45 mg, Cars 39 g, Protein 8 g, Sodium 950 mg, Fiber 5 g



Commentary:
  This is a soup that totally fills the kitchen air AND your tummies with lots of warmth!  I came across this recipe in one of the Pampered Chef books and had to try it.  I've loved butternut squash baked but never as a soup before.  I liked all the blendings of ingredients with it like the quenching, sweet types of apples with brown sugar, boldness of onions, the richness of the cheese/cream, and the spice of curry.  It hit the spot for me coming in from a chilly day and I kept thinking it might make for a great part of Thanksgiving dinner served in nice soup bowl or maybe a hollowed-out gord of some sort!