Prep Time; 30 minutes Cook Time; 50 minutes Serves 6 (478G)
Ingredients
- 3 medium leeks, white part only, coarsely chopped
- 2 large celery stocks, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup tart apple, peeled, cored, diced into ½” cubes (measure after chopping)
- 1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped into 1” cubes
- 4 cups butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1” cubes (measure after chopping)
- 1 tsp. Madras curry powder
- 1/4t. cinnamon
- 1 small bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ½ quarts vegetable stock
- 2T. maple syrup
- 2T. fresh-squeezed orange juice
- ½ cup heavy cream or evaporated skim milk (optional)
- 2T. olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. In a heavy-bottomed 6-quart pot, sauté the leeks, celery, apple and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the olive oil over medium heat until softened, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the curry powder, cinnamon, and bay leaf and stir until the spices become fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the squash, potato, and stock, stir and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 25-30 minutes, or until the potato crumbles when pressed with a fork.
3. Remove from the heat, fish out the bay leaf and discard. Using an immersion blender or a regular blender (working in small batches), puree the soup until completely smooth.
4. Strain the soup through a fine mesh strainer, taking care not to push the fibrous solids through the mesh. Return the soup to the stove and return it to a light simmer to reduce until the soup will lightly coat the back of a spoon.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the maple syrup, the optional evaporated skim milk, a dash of pepper, and the fresh orange juice. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. A bit of crumbled bacon and chive sprinkled over the soup before service is a nice touch, and many—including Anthony Bourdain—choose to drizzle a little extra maple syrup as well.