Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Fresh Sage

In just a few days my husband and I will celebrate our 10th anniversary.

When I was deciding what to serve at our reception, I loved the idea of having a simple soup and salad for our guests. We didn’t have a gigantic wedding. It was very small and simple. I wanted our menu to reflect that, as well as being something people would remember. I don’t know if our friends and family remember it as much as I do, but I certainly still love to make this soup and remember that day.

I’ve made this soup for baby showers and church events.  I know it’s sort of ubiquitous and probably on the list of many foodies of foods that have outlived their time on restaurant menus.  But I will never tire of it.

I served it with some caramelized onion, sage and cheddar rolls.  I was sad I couldn’t try one myself because they looked and smelled so wonderful.  My husband assured me they were incredible.

You know, I think I’ve come a long way in my ten years of marriage.  It’s been fun to look back and reflect on these years and what we’ve survived together.  There were definitely hard times getting used to being married and trying to overcome things we saw in our homes growing up.  There was a miscarriage early on that was hard.  We’ve endured the challenge of having three kids really close together and all of the sleepless nights that go with it.  (Not that I would do anything differently, mind you.)  There were moves and new jobs.  My depression that sucked the life out of me for a few years.  And now we’re 2 1/2 years into unemployment.  Our adventure now is to learn how to take care of our family (by the seat of our pants) working as many freelance jobs as we can.  Whew!  It’s nice to be on this end of things.  And it’s incredibly fun to be working together prop hunting and designing film and photo shoots.

Ten years is a long time.  For some reason I never thought it would come and we would be perpetually in our twenties with tiny little babies.  Now my body shows the wear and tear of three pregnancies (and too much chocolate and ice cream), my hair is graying, my three tiny babies are big kids, and I like to think I have a bit more wisdom than my 21 year old self.  Despite all of the things we’ve been through, we’re still going strong because we’re together.  And I think that’s what matters most.  That and that I know how make tasty treats, as I call them, for him, knowing instinctively that it will be just thing he wanted.

Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Fresh Sage

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

A flavorful fall soup made from roasted butternut squash, tart apples, and onions seasoned with fresh sage.

• Total Time: 1 hour 35 mins
• Yield: 8 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 butternut squash
• 1 Tablespoon butter or olive oil
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and chopped
• 2 Tbsp. fresh sage, minced
• 1/4 to 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 quart vegetable or chicken stock
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Cut the butternut squashes in half lengthwise. Remove seeds. Place the butternut squashes cut side down on the baking sheet. Roast for 45-60 minutes. It will be ready when a knife tip easily pierces through the squash.
3. Let the squash cool for a few minutes. Remove the skin, or turn the squash over and scoop out the flesh.
4. While squash is roasting, heat the butter or olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and apples. Cook until tender.
5. Place the sautéed onion and apples into a blender or food processor with the cooked squash. Puree until smooth, adding a little stock if necessary. Transfer back to the pan.
6. Add the stock and bring to a simmer and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes to let the flavors blend.
7. Before serving, add the sage and the desired amount of cream. Taste and add salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.

• Author: Lindsey Johnson
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hour 15 mins
• Category: Soup, Main
• Cuisine: American