Tinky’s Cider Butternut Soup

Recipe submitted by Tinky Weisblat, and also posted on her blog: In Our Grandmothers’ Kitchens

• 2 to 3 tablespoons butter
• 1-1/2 large onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 2 medium apples (fairly solid ones for cooking; I used Ginger Gold), cored and chopped but not necessarily peeled
• 3 cups roasted butternut squash puree (for roasting instructions, see my post about the Blue Heron Restaurant, which has another great butternut recipe!)
• 1-1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon (at least) freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• lots of freshly ground pepper
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 cups hard cider (I used West County Cider McIntosh, a sweet and fruity cider)
• 2 cups heavy cream (I used Mapleline)
• toasted pecans or croutons for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

In a 4-quart Dutch oven melt the butter. When it begins to talk to you, sauté the onions and garlic until they are soft (about 5 minutes).

Add the apple pieces, and sauté until they are moistened, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the squash, followed by the honey, nutmeg, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Stir for a minute or two (taking care to keep the mixture from burning); then stir in the stock.

Bring the soup to a boil. Cover it about 7/8 of the way, and turn it down. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until it tastes souplike.

Remove the soup from the heat, and puree it. I used my immersion blender for this (which worked as long as I kept it immersed; when I accidentally lifted it I think I got a little soup on the TV camera!). You may also use a blender or food processor, but be very careful to process this hot soup in batches.

In a nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat reduce the cider in half. (This takes only a few minutes.) Add the cream and reduce in half again, whisking (again quite a short process).

You then have a choice. You may either stir the cider/cream reduction into the soup and serve it or put the reduction into a pitcher and let your guests drizzle it into the soup at the table.

Garnish with toasted nuts or croutons. Serves 6.