Spiced Butternut Squash Soup with Kale and Apples

Winter squash is a fairly new culinary adventure for me. While I've always heard of butternut squash, it never appealed to me despite its silly name.  This changed last autumn when I discovered the wonder that is roasting cubed squash with olive oil, salt, pepper and cinnamon. This time I wanted a similar taste, but with a little more texture and just the right amount of spice. Oh, and it had to be healthy:

Spiced Butternut Squash Soup with Kale and Apples
Loosely adapted from Kath Eats 
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp diced yellow onion (I used Trader Joe's pre-diced)
1 quart-sized box of low-sodium butternut squash soup (I used Trader Joe's)
1 c. carrots, chopped (I used baby carrots, but two large carrots will probably work)
2 small stalks celery, chopped
1 c. plain unsweetened almond milk
1 medium Fuji apple, chopped
2 1/2 c. kale, stems removed

Spices
Note that these are to my taste.
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. pepper (I used coarsely ground rainbow peppercorns, but I'm sure regular would be fine)
1/2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder (trust me)

Heat up olive oil over medium-low heat.* Add onions and let them sweat and slightly caramelize (about 5-10 minutes). Pour in butternut squash soup, carrots and celery. Turn heat to medium and let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. Reduce heat to medium-low. Use a whisk to incorporate almond milk and spices. Let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and add apple and kale. Cover the pot and let the kale steam for about 10 minutes. Uncover, stir and let simmer on low for 20 more minutes. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with a little cinnamon. Serves 3 hearty portions. Maybe 2. ;)

So what did I think of this very autumn-themed soup?

 Take a guess. =)



*My stove gets really hot, so all heat references may be lower than your preferred temps.

Are you going to try recreating this recipe? Let me know in the comments below what you thought of it, or what you'd do differently. =)