Orange Velvet Soup (Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato, and Rutabaga)

One of the best things about living in Central New York during graduate school was being in Wegmans country - one of the best grocery stores that I have ever shopped. When I moved to the DC area, I was quite excited to find that Wegmans had followed me, opening stores in some of the outlying suburbs in Virginia and Maryland. The selection of produce is great - and in addition to the many whole fruits and vegetables available, there are also a number of packaged peeled and sliced options ready for cooking. Today I found both butternut squash and rutabaga, and with a few other ingredients, put together this "orange velvet" soup to combat the chilly November days. To give the soup an extra kick, I used a bottle of pumpkin ale as part of the stock.

Orange Velvet Soup (6-8 servings)
12 oz. rutabaga, peeled and cubed
20 oz. butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 large sweet potato / yam, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium apple, peeled and chopped
3 cups stock (broth, cider, water, etc.)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 12 oz. can fat-free evaporated milk

1. Combine rutabaga, squash, and sweet potato in a large stockpot, add water to cover the vegetables, and bring to a boil. Cover and continue boiling for 15-20 minutes, until vegetables are soft enough to mash. Drain (reserve some water for stock, if desired).

2. While vegetables are cooking, saute onions and apple in a small amount of olive oil.

3. Mix rutabaga/squash/sweet potato and onion/apple together and puree using a food processor or potato masher. Return vegetable mixture to stockpot.

4. Add stock, cinnamon, and nutmeg to vegetable mixture. Simmer on low-medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add evaporated milk and continue to simmer (do not boil) for 10 minutes.