Roasted Butternut Squash And Apple Soup

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 3 cups chopped seeded and peeled butternut squash
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 baking apple, cored and quartered (macintosh, jonathan or granny smith)
• 1/2 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 6 cups vegetable stock, divided
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
• 2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed

Recipe

• 1 combine squash, onion, apple and canola oil in a bowl; toss to coat.
• 2 arrange vegetables in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• 3 bake at 400f for 30 minutes.
• 4 remove roasted vegetables to a blender or food processor and add ginger, garlic and about 1 1/2 cups of the stock; purée, adding more stock if necessary.
• 5 use a little of remaining stock to deglaze the baking sheet; pour into a large soup pot over medium heat.
• 6 combine 2 tablespoons of stock with cornstarch in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
• 7 toast curry powder in a dry skillet until it begins to give off a nutty fragrance.
• 8 add cornstarch mixture, curry powder, remaining stock, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to soup pot.
• 9 cook until slightly thickened, stirring frequently.
• 10 reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
• 11 add milk and cream cheese; heat through until the cheese melts.
• 12 correct seasonings.
• 13 serve hot, garnished with minced chives, if desired.