a bowl of fancy soup

I’m not fancy…like, at all.

You know those women who know which fork to use at the dinner table…are never without expertly-manicured hands…and know what words like “fascinator,”first class” and “amuse bouche” mean? Think Sex and the City’s Charlotte. Or Victoria Beckham. Or that annoying woman whose heels clack when she walks at work (there’s always one of them).

I wish I had it together like that! But I don’t.

I use one fork. I gnaw at my fingernails. And I thought amuse bouche was some booty-dancing club move until I watched Top Chef and realized it has nothing to do with dropping it low. And I’m okay with that, because I’m fun and don’t resemble an alien (ahem, Mrs. Beckham).

I like to travel to Germany, drink lots of beer, get really drunk at the world-famous Hofbrauhaus and lick my apple strudel plate clean…in public.

I Bernie at weddings. Invite me to your wedding…I’ll Bernie there too.

And I won’t come to your bachelorette party in New Orleans unless there is an agreement before-hand on a pirate theme, absinthe-laced drinks and the inappropriate use of the joke, “What does a pirate call a prostitute? A hook-arrrrrr!” all party long.

No spas or classy champagne cocktails allowed.

But despite these things, I guess even a beer-drinking, blue-cheese-and-bacon-fries-eating, food-blogging squirrel like me finds a nut sometimes. A nut in the form of Curried Acorn Squash & Roasted Apple Soup.

It sounds fancy, but trust me – get past the name, and you’ll find it’s nothing but easy.

And delicious.

And so very h-ARRRRR-d to resist.

Yeah, I went there.

Curried Acorn Squash & Roasted Apple Soup
Prep time: 60 minutes
Cook time: 10-15 minutes

2 acorn squash, halved and deseeded
2 small apples, cut into large chunks
2 to 3 cups vegetable broth
1 t curry powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t coriander
1/4 t cinnamon
salt + pepper, to taste
plain Greek yogurt, red pepper flakes and chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place halved squashes and apples on a baking sheet to roast. After 20 minutes, remove apples from baking sheet and place in a small bowl. Let squash continue to roast until soft. Remove from the oven, scoop out the squash and add to the bowl.

In a food processor or blender, puree apples, squash and 1 cup of broth until smooth. Pour into a Dutch oven or soup pot, add the remaining broth and place over medium-low heat. Once the soup comes to a boil, turn heat to low, add spices and let simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

To serve, pour into bowls and top with your choice of garnishes.

Makes 4 servings

Tagged as: apple, squash