BUTTERNUT SQUASH, APPLE, + ONION SOUP

If you know me,

you know I love food.

I love all kinds of food, I don't discriminate and will give anything a chance.  Although, I will admit to mostly loving super down-homestyle dishes.  I love rich flavors and slightly heavy meals, I should weigh 100 pounds more than I do.  My friends always tease me and say I could put gravy or alfredo sauce on anything and I'm known for sending all my friends into food comas.  

Although, this season brings about one great homestyle favorite in particular: the pureéd soup.  I could eat soup and bread for dinner every winter night. With that being said, I made an attempt at cooking one of my favorites. To my surprise, making butternut squash, apple and onion soup was so much easier than I imagined.  

So I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did and check out my pureéd Potato Leek Soup too (here). 

| what you will need to make the soup :

: ( two ) peeled and chopped butternut squash

: ( four ) peeled and chopped granny smith (or I like gala) apples

: ( one ) chopped white onion

: smart balance butter substitute

: ( two ) containers of organic chicken broth 

: a dash or two of yellow curry

: a touch of ground corriander

: a dash of ground cumin

: a tsp of ground ginger

: ( one ) cup of cream

: ( one ) sliced jalapeño 

: ( spoonful ) of crema 

: fresh lemons

| FIRST chop onion and squash (you can buy it pre-peeled and cleaned) 

| PUT the squash and onion in a large pot and let it start to cook down with 2 spoonfuls of butter.

| PEEL and cut the apples, then place aside to give the squash and onion a head start.

Also place some apple aside finely diced with drizzled with fresh squeezed lemon (for garnish).

| CONTINUE cooking down the squash and onion over a medium heat. 

| THEN add enough broth to cover the potatoes and apples. Continue to cook down on a medium heat. 

| what you will need to make the chicken :

: almonds

: candied pecans

: light brown sugar

: garlic and onion powder 

: salt

: pepper 

: beaten eggs 

| PROCESS all the dry ingredients into a fine powder - I use a mini chopper used for coffee beans.

| DIP chicken into egg and then the "breadcrumb" mixture

| HEAT the oil in a pan and then add the chicken, don't flip until the first side gets nice and golden. 

| KEEP occasionally stirring the squash and apples.  Let them continue to cook if they look like this.  

  

| TURN off the heat when they look like this.

| SCOOP out all the cooked down ingredients and put into a high power blender. 

| PULL the almond fried chicken out of the pan and place onto paper towels.

|  PUREÉ the squash, apples and onions until, while adding broth to make it light and smooth.

Here is where I like to add the cream in, but this is totally optional.

| PUT it back into the pot on a low simmer until perfect. 

| SLICE the chicken and the jalapeños thinly, remove the seeds if you want a little less spice.

| what you will need for the salad :

: fresh pumpernickel bread

: mixed greens

: grape tomatoes

: pomegranate

: feta

: olive oil

: apple vinaigrette reduction

| TOSS greens, half the tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic.  

Then top with tomatoes, pomegranates, and feta. 

| THEN plate the salad with the chicken overtop and a apple vinaigrette drizzle.

And the soup garnished with a touch of crema, the diced apple and two slices of jalapeños. 

Add the optional buttered and toasted pumpernickel slices.

{ Spike loves Squash too! }

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