Butternut & Apple Soup!

Butternut soup is a favourite South African starter. The butternut has a flavour all on its own and it is great to serve it as a starter before a good roast beef or lamb.
 

The Goodies

2 medium butternuts
1 apple
2 medium onions
50g butter/margarine
7 ml medium curry powder
40 g cake flour
pinch of ground nutmeg
2 chicken stock cubes
750 ml boiling water
500 ml milk
7 ml salt
 

The Mission…………

Peel, seed and dice the butternuts. Peel, core and chop the apple. Peel the onions and chop roughly. In a large saucepan, sauté the chopped onions in the butter/margarine. Add the curry powder and fry the mixture lightly. Add the butternut and apple and sauté the mixture for a while. Add the flour and nutmeg and stir-fry lightly.

Dissolve the chicken stock cubes in the boiling water. Add the stock, together with the milk, and salt, to the butternut mixture. Boil, with the lid on, over moderate heat until the butternut pieces are soft. Stir the mixture occasionally. Puree or blend until smooth. The colour of the soup should be a deep yellow and the texture creamy. Serve the soup hot.

Each bowl of soup may be garnished with a teaspoon of cream and a little finely chopped parsley. For an interesting variation, replace the nutmeg with a little finely grated orange rind and add a few shreds of orange rind to the garnish.

Makes 2 litres (8 cups) of soup