Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

I hope you all don’t get too bored as we continue our project to put up an endless amount of soup.  Matt eats soup most days and with 6+ months of cold weather and working outdoors…a good warm thermos of soup really hits the spot.

Today, we’ve made 3 different double batches of soup.  Butternut Squash and two different types of puréed carrot soups.  The stove has been going since early this morning with every large pot in our home enlisted into service.  It is quite a sight and a wonderful smell.  I am actually stuffed from sampling, tweaking, and re-sampling all of this soup.  No dinner necessary.

RECIPE FOR BUTTERNUT AND APPLE SOUP (from Sunday Soup):

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 cups peeled, seeded, and cubed butternut squash (from 2- to 2 1/2 pound squash; cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (about 3 medium leeks)
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery
• 2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped, plus an extra apple for garnish
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme (NOTE: I would cut this back as our soup tastes a lot like Thanksgiving dinner)
• 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried sage
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider, divided
• Kosher salt
• 2/3 cup sour cream (NOTE: do not add to the soup that will be pressure canned)
• 5 bacon slices, sautéed until crisp, drained, and crumbled ~ as a garnish

1. In a large, stainless steel stockpot over medium-high heat, melt the butter.  To the hot stockpot add squash, leeks, carrots, and celery and saute, stirring frequently, until vegetables are just tender, 10 to 12 minutes. 
2. Add apples, sage, and thyme (add 1/2 the amount and then taste to determine if you want to add the remaining thyme ~ personally, I find too much thyme makes the soup taste a lot like thanksgiving dinner but that’s just me).  Add stock and 1 cup of the cider.  Bring mixture to a simmer.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently until vegetables and apples are tender, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. 
3. In the pot, purée the soup using an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.  Or, working in batches using the food processor.  We creamed our soups using both methods but we just purchased an immersion blender from Kitchen Aid…and, I’m in love.  It makes the job fun and easy with a lot less clean up.  SOLD!!  Season the soup to taste with salt and/or pepper.
4. Remove from the heat and ladle into hot sterilized jars.  Use a damp paper towel to wipe the rims of the jars, then put a flat lid and ring on each jar, adjusting the ring so that it’s just finger-tight.
5. Process in a pressure canner following directions carefully.  We pressure canned this soup at 10lbs of pressure for 75 minutes.  Please follow the instructions and guidelines outlined in your pressure canning manual.   This soup can also be served fresh or jarred and refrigerated to be eaten over the next couple of days. 

WHEN YOU ARE READY TO SERVE THE SOUP:

1. Make the cider cream.  In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup cider to a boil and reduce by half, approximately 5 minutes.  Let it cool.  In a small bowl, add 2/3 cup of sour cream and whisk in reduced cider.  Note: you can prepare this the day before and refrigerate.
2. With the remaining apples create a garnish.  Wash and cut apples into paper-thin slices or interesting curly strips.
3. Serve hot soup with a splash of cider cream, crumbled bacon, and a couple of apple slices or strips.

Put up Total:

• 6 x 1L regular mouth mason jars