Vegetables Squash + Gourds Butternut Squash Red Kuri Squash Soup with Ancho Chile and Apple Be the first to rate & review! “Kuri squash has a unique, concentrated sweet flavor that’s beautiful in soup,” says Rick Bayless, chef at Frontera Grill in Chicago. (Butternut is a fine substitute.) He adds more layers of flavor with apple, cinnamon and raisiny ancho chile, and even blends in the squash seeds for nuttiness. Slideshow: More Warming Soup RecipesRecipe from Food & Wine Chefs' Easy Weeknight Dinners. By Rick Bayless Rick Bayless Instagram Most people know Rick Bayless from winning the title of Bravo's Top Chef Masters. His highly rated public television series, Mexico: One Plate at a Time, is broadcast coast to coast and his nine cookbooks have earned multiple high-profile accolades.Located in Chicago, Rick's Frontera Grill and Topolobampo have each received the "Outstanding Restaurant of the Year" designation from the James Beard Foundation — an unprecedented feat for side-by-side restaurants. His wildly popular fast-casual Xoco debuted in 2009 and Tortas Frontera at Chicago's O'Hare airport has changed the face of airport dining. In 2016, he opened Frontera Cocina in Disney Springs. In 2018, Rick expanded his Clark Street restaurants by opening Bar Sótano, a Oaxacan-inspired mezcal bar with modern Mexican bar food. Tortazo, Rick's new fast-casual concept, debuted in 2020 in Chicago's iconic Willis Tower and later in New York City's Flatiron District. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on December 30, 2015 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email “Kuri squash has a unique, concentrated sweet flavor that’s beautiful in soup,” says star chef Rick Bayless. As a master of Mexican cuisine, he adds more layers of flavor with apple, cinnamon and raisiny ancho chile, and even blends in the squash seeds for nuttiness. If you can't find kuri squash, butternut will do the trick. Photo: Fredrika Stjärne Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 50 mins Yield: 4 Ingredients 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 pounds Red Kuri or 11/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (4 cups), seeds reserved 1 medium onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick 1 ancho chile—stemmed, seeded and torn into 1-inch pieces 1 medium apple—peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Salt Freshly ground pepper 1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional) Toasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish Directions In a large soup pot, melt the butter. Add the squash seeds and onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is golden brown and the seeds are starting to brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the chile and toast until fragrant and pliable, about 1 minute. Add the squash, apple, cinnamon and 4 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat until the squash is very tender, about 25 minutes. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender. Season with salt, pepper and sugar, then serve, garnished with pumpkin seeds. Make Ahead The soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Rate it Print