Greetings! It’s been raining for weeks in Park City! So I guess it’s cozy soup time again and not sunny summer food. But that’s ok, because soup (especially this one) is delicious, and most importantly, it pairs well with whiskey…
3 medium size butternut squash
4 large apples
1/4 cup EVOO
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 TBS fresh sage
6 cups veggie broth
Optional sweetener of your choice: maple syrup, brown rice syrup, agave nectar, sugar, etc.
Handful of toasted & salted pumpkin seeds
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Now start chopping the squash and apple. For the squash, I think the easiest way is to chop off the top and bottom, and then you can stand it up and start slicing the sides off. Next, cut in half and scoop out the seeds and goop with a spoon. Now just chop the squash pieces in 1-2 inch chunks. For the apple, just peel & chop. No seeds please!
Spread the chopped veggies on a baking sheet or two (I should have used another, mine were a little over crowded which tends to steam the veggies and not roast as much) and cover with salt, pepper & EVOO. Toss to coat evenly & roast in the oven for 45-50 minutes, taking a couple breaks to stir them around in between the cooking time.
When they’re done, take them out and mix the fresh sage into the hot squash & apples on the sheet pan. Let them sit together for a minute to cool off just a bit.
After a couple minutes of the sage, squash & apples getting acquainted, get your blender ready. Add about 1/3 of the veggies to the blender and add 2 cups of the veggie broth. Puree until smooth then pour into a soup pot on the stove. Repeat this same process with the rest of the veggies and the rest of the broth.
Heat the soup pot on medium and give it a taste. Adjust with some more salt or your choice of a sweetener until it tastes delicious. Heat for a few more minutes on the stove then it’s ready. Top with anything you’d like (fresh sage, drizzle of olive oil, toasted nuts) but my favorite is some toasted pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!
Perfect to keep, or to share : )
