Butternut Squash Apple Soup

Fall is in the air. We did our apple picking a few weeks ago and then last weekend we headed to the corn maze. After Fun Fall Frolicking we needed some tasty fall dishes.

This soup is so simple and highlights all the tasty fresh flavors of fall. Serve it along with a Grilled Cheese Sandwich of thin sliced apples, a bit of apple butter, and a sharp cheddar and your meal is complete!

Every time that I make a Butternut Squash Soup it seems to turn out a bit differently, but I love it every time! This soup has a definite sweetness to it from the apples. You can spice up your soup with some pepper flakes or leave it sweeter. Roasting the ingredients first allow the full flavors of the squash to really develop instead of just boiling them like I often do -yes, another step/dish but with some foil its totally worth it!

Flavor up your house with the delicious smells of fall! AND you could make this for Halloween with some roasted pumpkin seeds on top and a scary drizzle of something dark (dark BBQ sauce maybe) to give you that orange/black visual. Happy Fall 🙂

Roasted Apple Butternut Squash SoupRecipe

adapted from Verses from my Kitchen (check out the amazing photos)

• 1 large butternut squash (I used 1 small butternut & 1 small acorn)
• 8 sage leaves
• 4 large apples, peeled, cored and quartered
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small white onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup apple cider
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 tbsp. sour cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Peel the squash and remove the seeds. Roughly chop and spread out on a baking sheet. Add the quartered apples, 4 sage leaves and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 40 minutes, until squash is tender.

Using a large pot, add in two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and add in the onion. Cook for 5 minutes or until soft and then add in the garlic and bay leaf. Cook for another minute. Add in the squash, apple cider, apples, brown sugar, spices, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.

Using an immersion blender – make it smooth (OR blend in blender/food processor – be careful with hot soup) Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the heavy cream. Taste test & then serve and top with sour cream. Serves about 4

One Year Ago – my Scott’s Pizza Tour write-up (do it!)

And I leave you with this, Today’s Question of the Day… what says “FALL” to you…