Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

With all this icky rain and cold weather we've been having lately, we've been in a real soup kick. The other night, we decided to try a new butternut squash recipe. We found a pumpkin/apple soup idea in the most recent Eating Well, but used butternut squash in place of the pumpkin. The walnuts and walnut oil make it very delicious (it's not quite as tasty without them).

As yummy as it turned out, it still wasn't quite as good as our butternut squash soup that we made last year - so if you're going for one, I'd say go for the older recipe. You can use hazelnuts/hazelnut oil instead of walnuts/walnut oil. You can also sub in other apples for the Braeburn (i.e. Empire or Cameo). One good tip for cutting butternut squash (so you don't dice those little fingers) is to poke holes in the squash with a fork after peeling and put it in the microwave for 1 minute. We used closer to 5.5 cups of ckn broth b/c we like thicker soup - use up to the 6 cups though if you like a more traditional soup consistency (which I'd actually recommend). Serve with your favorite bread - it's a good dipping soup!

Ingredients

• 4 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 4 large Braeburn apples, cored and cut into eighths (do not peel)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon shredded sage
• 5.5-6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (depending on desired soup thickness)
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons walnut oil
• Cinnamon, to sprinkle (if desired)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F
2. Toss squash, apples, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring once, for 30 minutes. Stir in sage and continue roasting until very tender and starting to brown, 15 to 20 minutes more.
3. Transfer about one-third of the squash and apples to a blender along with 2 cups broth. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a Dutch oven and repeat for two more batches.
   
4. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and heat through over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to prevent splattering, for about 6 minutes.
   
5. Serve each portion topped with walnuts and a drizzle of walnut oil. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.