Apricot Squash Soup

Time for another culinary related post. This recipe was give to me by my mother and it's one of my favorite soups to make during the winter.

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
1 can (15 oz) apricot halves in extra light syrup, drained
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1/8 tsp pepper
1 green onion, thinly sliced



I'm a fan of quick and easy recipes with not too many ingredients and this one keeps it pretty simple. If you are unable to find apricots and /or don't have any handy (which I didn't this time), then peaches are a perfectly acceptable substitute.

In a saucepan, saute the onion in oil until tender. Add the squash; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the apricots, broth and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the squash is tender.

Cool slightly (I usually set it aside for 30 minutes or so). Next, process in small batches in a blender or a food processor until smooth. The soup will still be fairly warm so be careful. Putting hot liquids into a blender can be dangerous. Covering the blender with the lid too tightly will allow the steam to build up and it may explode hot soup all over. You should leave the lid slightly open. My blender has a center piece that comes out like this...

Removing that piece allows the steam to properly vent. I also drape a towel over the center so that no soup splashes out while blending (making sure to lift the towel and let the steam out once the blender gets started up).

Once the soup is smooth it can be transferred back into the pot and heated through. It should look like this:

Use the thinly sliced green onions for garnish. This is optional, but I love green onions and any excuse to eat them!

The onions and broth are the perfect base for any soup and the squash gives it a nice creamy smooth texture. The apricots (or peaches!) give it a subtle sweet flavor and it's always nice to have hot soup on a cold day.

Enjoy!