Adventures and Soup

After a long stretch of amazing warm September weather it seems Fall has arrived in Minnesota - it’s not a bad thing, it’s what we expect when October 1 rolls around. Yesterday I spent 4+ hours at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum volunteering at the Annual Fall Festival helping families make scarecrows - it was a blast. The day reminded me of when I spent cool fall days with my nieces and step-daughters creating scarecrows - those were some wonderful times. 

Today was a recovery day - I laid around, read and then finally decided that I needed to get up and get my steps in (btw I’m on track to walk 2017 miles in 2017), get groceries and do a bit of yoga. Halfway through my walk the rain decided to pour down and I found my self standing under a tree for about a half hour waiting for the rain to let up, which of course it did not so I decided to brave the elements and walk home. 

About half way home I noticed an elderly gentleman heading toward the senior living center with 2 bags of groceries trying to navigate around the posts and tape keeping would be walkers from messing up  the new concrete. With one leg on either side of the tape he appeared to be “stuck”  and was having a difficult time getting his second leg over the barrier. I ran across the street and helped him get across and into the building, We were both soaking wet - I jogged the rest of the way home. 

When I got home i peeled off the wet clothes and made myself a nice cup of almond milk chai and wrapped up in a blanket to get warm and I started searching for my favorite curried squash soup recipe, which I found almost immediately. 

The original recipe came from Eater’s Choice - A food lover’s guide to lower cholesterol, which I bought ages ago. There are some great recipes in the cookbook, although I was a meat eater in those days so these days I browse the vegetables and soups section. The Apple Squash Soup recipe calls for acorn squash but you can use whatever you have on hand. It also calls for apples (hence the name) and apple cider. I decided to switch it up a bit and use caramelized pears - it was a nice change. The sweetness from the caramelized pears and at the curry were a nice combination. 

Apple Squash Soup

1 T margarine

2 C chopped onions

2 T curry powder

6 cups peeled and cubed squash (I used acorn)

2 pears

3 cups vegetable broth (I used the broth I made from my scraps earlier in the season)

1 tsp salt

1 cup apple cider

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice pears in half and place cut side down on a pan to roast (I use my Pampered Chef stone) for approximately 20 minutes - or until they begin to caramelize. 

In a large pot melt margarine. Add onion and saute until tender. Add curry powder and combine. To the onion - curry mixture add squash, pears, stock and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 25 - 30 minutes. 

When squash is fork tender, puree soup in a high speed blender, add the apple cider and heat until warm. Pour in bowls and enjoy. Tonight we included a whole grain baguette and some brie and cashew cheese the result was delicious. 

Thanks for stopping by!