Chai-Spiced Squash & Apple Soup
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Chai-Spiced Squash & Apple Soup
A deeply scented soup chock full of autumnal flavors.
Servings: 8 as a side
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 sweet apples, Braeburn, Fuji, Gala, etc, peeled and either grated or finely diced
- 3 large garlic cloves, grated
- 2 inches fresh ginger, grated
- 4 cups butternut squash cubes (about 1/2 inch dice) OR 3 cups pumpkin purée, see how to make pumpkin purée, if needed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 5 cups chicken bone stock OR vegetable stock
- apple chips, crumbled, for serving (optional)
Spice mix:
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Sauté onion and apples. Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and apples and sauté until both are softened, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and fresh ginger and sauté until fragrant, 30-60 seconds.
- Cook the squash. Add the butternut squash cubes to the pot along with half of the stock. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the cubes are tender and pierce easily with a fork, 10-15 minutes. (To speed up the recipe, you may skip this step if you use leftover roasted butternut squash or pumpkin purée.)
- Purée onions, apples, and squash in the blender. Scrape or spoon the squash-apple-onion mixture into a blender. Blend until very smooth, 1-2 minutes, adding some of the stock if necessary to keep the mixture moving.
- Sauté the spices. Meanwhile, place pot back over medium heat and melt the butter until it begins to bubble, then add in the spice mix and sauté until fragrant, 15-30 seconds.
- Stir all ingredients together. Pour the squash-apple-onion purée back into the stock pot and add the remaining stock, maple syrup, and vinegar. If the mixture is too thick for your liking, add additional stock or water.
- Simmer the soup. Simmer for 15-20 minutes to allow flavors to mingle, then serve hot. Top with apple chips, if desired.
To make as a freezer meal or hospitality meal:
- Prepare soup up through the blending stage, adding the spice mix, maple syrup, and vinegar to the blender as well.
- Let cool, then store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months.
Notes
Nearly any winter squash may be used for this recipe, such as butternut, kabocha, pumpkin, acorn, and delicata, but butternut or New England pie pumpkins will give the sweetest flavor.
