Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Yield: 4 servings

This soup is delicious. Roasted squash, apple and cayenne lend a bit of complexity.

Ingredients:

• Butternut squash, about 3 pounds (1 or 2 squash), halved vertically and seeded
• 4 whole cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 TB butter
• 1 TB olive oil
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 3 to 4 cups vegetable broth
• pinch nutmeg
• pinch cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly drizzle the garlic cloves and the cut side of the squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Use your hands to rub the oil evenly all over the surface of the squash and cloves.
2. Place the garlic cloves and the squash face down on a baking sheet and roast until tender, 40-50 minutes. Set them aside to cool.
3. In a large soup pot, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the apple and onion to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until soft, not brown. Turn the heat off, leave the pot on the stove.
4. When the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop it out of the skin into the soup pot, discarding the skin. Add the garlic cloves to the soup pot as well. Add just enough liquid to cover the solids – about 3 cups. Add nutmeg, cayenne, salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Remove the pot from the stove top. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until completely smooth. Add more broth to achieve desired consistency. You should be able to run a spoon through the soup and have it settle back into a flat surface. If it doesn’t add more liquid until it does. Mix to combine. Add more seasoning to taste with salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne.

I garnished mine with chopped red grapes and parsley.