Roasted Pumpkin Apple Soup

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash (peeled, deseeded and diced)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and black pepper (to taste)
• 3 apples (peeled, cored and chopped)
• 1 onion (diced)
• 3 Cloves garlic (minced or finely chopped)
• 6 Cups chicken stock
• 1 Teaspoon oregano (dried)
• 1/2 Teaspoon sage (dried)
• 1/4 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 Cup heavy cream
• fresh sage leaves
• roasted pumpkin seeds

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 390 degrees F. Line a pair of baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. 2

   Add the diced butternut squash to a large mixing bowl along with half of the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix until well combined.

3. 3

   bake: Arrange the pumpkin in a single layer over the lined baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes, or until softened and turning golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.

4. 4

   cook: Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the diced apples and onion and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until the onion has softened. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant.

5. 5

   simmer: Add the chicken stock, dried oregano, dried sage and ground nutmeg to the saucepan, along with the roasted pumpkin. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue simmering for 10 minutes.

6. 6

   blend: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Use a handheld stick blender to blend the soup until smooth, taking care as the soup will be hot.

7. 7

   Add 1/2 cup of the heavy cream to the blended soup, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

8. 8

   drizzle: Divide the soup between serving bowls. Drizzle over the remaining cream, and garnish with the sage leaves and pumpkin seeds, if using.