Scrumptious Soup

Today, using a recipe from one of my college roommates, I made healthy, savory soup that is perfect for a fall dinner.  Even the kids ate it (under no duress...well, maybe a little, since they knew soup had to come before they got any of the cookies that were waiting)!  My dad, stepmom, and sister were over for dinner too, and there were still plenty of leftovers for us to freeze for a future meal. This makes a great main dish, but it would also be a wonderful appetizer or side dish at a holiday gathering!

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" cubes

1 - 1.5 granny smith apples, skinned and diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

3-4 large carrots, peeled and chopped into 1' pieces

1-2 teaspoons curry

2 quarts vegetable broth

1 cup apple juice (optional)

1 6-ounce container of plain Greek yogurt (optional)

Salt and pepper (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray and place chopped carrots and squash on it.  Bake for about 40 minutes, then broil on low until the squash and carrots start to brown.

Turn the stove on medium.  Put olive oil in the bottom of a soup pot.  Add 1-2 teaspoons curry powder (I used two) and the onions; sautee until the onions are translucent.  Add the broth, apples, squash, and carrots.  Bring to a boil for about 20 minutes (the apples will plump when it's ready), remove from heat, and use a mixer to blend it until it's smooth.  

At this point, you can add the optional apple juice and yogurt. I added both of them to sweeten the soup and cut the curry flavor a bit so my kids would like the taste, but I sampled it before adding those, and it was still super yummy. 

Optional Topping:

4 tablespoons sour cream or Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon curry

2 teaspoons horseradish

I didn't make the topping, so I can't give you any pointers on this one!