French Curry Butternut Soup

Ingredients

3 tablespoons French curry powder
2 small or 1 large butternut  squash
2 sweet apples
1 pear
¼ cup plus 4 tablespoons oil, divided
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon salt, divided
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 bunch kale, ribs removed, sliced thin
1 red pepper, diced
3 medium Spanish onions, diced
6 ribs celery, diced
4 carrots, diced
6 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup dry white wine
4 portobello mushroom caps, diced
½ cup white balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons chili garlic paste
2 cups heavy whipping cream
15 ounces garbanzo beans, rinsed
14½ ounces low-sodium diced tomatoes

Instructions

Serves 8–10

Toast curry powder for 5 minutes in the oven at 300°.

Peel and de-seed the butternut squash, apples and pear. Cut all into 1-inch pieces. Toss in 3 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon curry powder and 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Roast in 300° oven for 35 minutes, or until tender. Purée with 1 cup of chicken broth and keep warm.

Toss kale with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Vigorously mash with hands and set aside.

Place ¼ cup oil in a warm cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, place the red pepper, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 tablespoons curry in the pan and stir consistently until dark brown.

Once the veggies are brown, deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping the bottom of the pan. Cook until the white wine is completely evaporated and the vegetables start sizzling again. Add the portobellos and stir constantly until the mushrooms are tender. Deglaze with white balsamic and scrape the bottom of the pan.

In a soup pot, combine the cooked veggies and mushrooms, 3 cups broth, maple syrup, chili garlic paste, cream, garbanzo beans, diced tomato, squash purée and kale. Heat to 140° and rest for 10 minutes before serving.