Butternut Squash & Maple Salsa

On a crisp, fall evening, I had just finished baking a whole butternut squash for babyhood and had half of the squash leftover. It was a perfect time to make butternut squash soup. I whipped out my Betty Crocker cookbook. This recipe was pretty awesome and the maple-pecan apple salsa added sweet and unique flavor!

(If you don’t have pre-baked squash, here’s the recipe from scratch. It also works well in a slow cooker)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 butternut squash (2 lb), peeled, cubed

2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

4 chicken bouillon cubes

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, cubed

Additional chicken broth or water, if desired

Maple-Pecan apple salsa:

1/2 cup diced unpeeled apple

1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

2 tablespoons of real maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• In 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender.
• Add all remaining ingredients except cream cheese. Cover; simmer 12 to 15 minutes or until squash is tender. (if using slow cooker, cook on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours)
• In blender or food processor, place one-third to one-half of mixture at a time and add cream cheese. Cover; blend on high speed until smooth. Return mixture to saucepan, heat over medium heat, stirring until blended and hot (do not boil).  Add additional chicken broth if thinner consistency is desired.
• (for slow cooker, Cover; cook on Low heat setting about 30 minutes longer or until cheese is melted, stirring with wire whisk until smooth)
• For the salsa, combine apple and chopped pecans, maple syrup and cinnamon. Stir well to coat. Top each bowl of soup with a spoonful of salsa
• Serve hot and enjoy!