Recipe: Acorn Squash and Apple Soup

Squash and apples make a soothing cold-weather soup.
Ingredients
1 medium acorn or butternut squash (1¼ to 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 medium yellow onion, sliced (1/2 cup)
2 medium-sized tart cooking apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon dried basil leaves
2 14-ounce cans chicken broth (4 cups)
¼ cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white or black pepper
Preparation
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half; remove seeds and fibers. Place cut sides up in 13-by-9-inch pan. Pour ¼ inch water into pan. Bake uncovered about 40 minutes or until tender. Cool. Remove pulp from rind and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in heavy 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Stir in apples, thyme and basil. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 30 minutes.
3. Remove 1 cup apples with slotted spoon; set aside. Place one-third each of the remaining apple mixture and squash in a blender or food processor. Cover; blend on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth, then pour into bowl. Continue to blend in small batches until all soup is pureed.
4. Return blended mixture and 1 cup reserved apples to saucepan. Stir in half-and-half, nutmeg, salt and pepper; cook over low heat until thoroughly heated.
Nutritional information
Each 1-cup serving contains:
190 calories
7 grams fat
20 milligrams cholesterol
670 milligrams sodium
690 milligrams potassium
6 grams fiber
5 grams protein
Source: "Betty Crocker Living With Cancer Cookbook"
