Roasted Butternut Squash, Apple, & Mushroom Soup

To welcome the month of October, I decided to make a gourmet butternut squash soup that I had seen in a Health magazine. Butternut squash with apples is classic, but I liked the fact that this recipe used mushrooms for added depth of flavor.  I improved the original directions by making them more user friendly and added some spices for color and flavor enhancement.

This soup is great for the busy cook because everything gets roasted instead of sautéed, leaving you free to do something else while the oven works its magic.

Cooking Tip

Save chicken bones and stock scraps for homemade stock.

Stephanie's Simple Stock

• 2 Costco rotisserie chicken carcasses (left over from Cooking in the Canyon's chicken quesadilla night)  
• heaping 1 c worth of "stock scraps" (onion skins, carrot tops, celery bottoms, and parsley stems) 
• a glug of apple cider vinegar (vinegar helps leach gelatin from  bones)
• Place everything in a big pot, fill with enough water to cover the carcasses, bring to a boil (took about 20 minutes), and simmer for about 8 hours, reducing the water by half. 
• Then pour stock through a mesh strainer into a bowl and cool in an ice water bath.  Can make a second stock from the same bones—just add new "stock scraps." 
• Refrigerate stock, scrape off fat the next day, and you're good to go!

To speed up the cooling process of the stock, place in an ice water bath.  

Nutrition Highlight: Butternut Squash

Superior for Sight 
Eating just a 1/2 cup of butternut squash will fulfill your daily recommended intake of Vitamin A.  Research shows that diets rich in beta-carotene (vitamin A antioxidant) help prevent macular degeneration, an unfortunate age-related eye disease. Dark leafy greens are also great Vitamin A sources.

Say Hello to Soluble Fiber
Winter squash is known to be a superior source of soluble fiber— its soluble fiber content is on par with beans!  Soluble fiber forms a gel in your intestines that slows the rate of digestion (making you feel full longer) and absorbs cholesterol. This helps regulate cholesterol and prevent diabetes.

So Long, Stroke
Butternut squash is a good source of magnesium, which helps hinder stroke.  Due to the highly processed American diet, 70-80% of Americans don't consume enough magnesium rich foods such as leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, and beans, putting them at greater risk of heart disease.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Apple, and Mushroom Soup
Printable Recipe

I adapted this recipe from the Health magazine.  I've been reading the book called Cooked by Michael Pollan and learned that chicken stock, parmesan, and mushrooms are all sources of umami, the savory taste that makes food taste delicious. 

This is a good soup for those who aren't huge squash fans because all the flavors blend together.  I added turmeric and paprika for their color and earthy flavors, and coriander for a hint of citrus. 

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds butternut squash, halved and seeded (2/3 of a medium squash)
2 (6-7 oz each) Granny Smith apples, cut into eighths
1 large onion (mine was 12 oz), cut into wedges
8 oz cremini mushrooms, quartered
4 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced, garnish
3 c chicken stock + 1 c water (or 4 cups chicken broth)
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp coriander

2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted, garnish (don't substitute)
sour cream, garnish
parsley, chives, opt. garnish

Note: I recommend preparing the squash the day before to make prep less overwhelming.

1.Roast Squash
Preheat oven to 400°. Place the entire butternut squash on a cookie sheet and roast.  A 2 lb. squash will take about 1 1/2 hours and a 3 lb. squash will take 1 hour 45 minutes. A fork should slide easily into the flesh. If you have to cook the squash longer, avoid too much poking, because the natural sugars will ooze out and make a mess. Scoop squash from skin with a spoon into a container and refrigerate.

2. Roast Seeds
Remove squash and let cool for about 10 minutes. Slice in half and scoop out seeds into a small bowl. Separate seeds from pulp with the help of running water.  Dry on a lined cookie sheet in a 350º oven for 10 minutes. Remove, pour into a small bowl, and toss with 1 tsp olive oil, some salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Roast for 15 minutes until browned. Great on green salads.

3. Roasting Vegetables
Line 2 cookie sheets with a silpat. 
Sheet 1 —Onions and Apples: Arrange in a single layer.
Sheet 2 —Mushrooms: Arrange in a single layer, the quartered mushrooms on one side and the sliced on another. 

Take out the apples and mushrooms after 20 minutes and take out the onions after 35 minutes. Veggies should be tender.

4. Puréeing
Place squash in a large pot with stock, water, Parmesan, garlic, apples, quartered mushrooms, half of onions. Purée with immersion blender. (Or you can purée in food processor and transfer to a large pot to warm, if serving multiple people.) 

Cut the other half of the onions into smaller chunks. Stir into soup. This provides some textural contrast. Save the sliced mushrooms for garnish. 

5. Serving
Simmer to heat through OR refrigerate most of soup and microwave one bowl if eating solo.  Freezes well.

6. Garnishes
Garnish with mushrooms, a dollop of sour cream, and pine nuts.  If you have parsley or chives, those would be nice additions.  I served the soup with toast, salad, and broiled salmon.