Winter Squash and Apple Soup

We made this soup in our September 2021 class! It is a delicious winter squash soup which is easy to make and beautiful to serve to family or for company. It is the perfect soup for a cool fall night and can be made with whatever winter squash you have on hand. It is rich, thick and satisfying while still being gluten free, dairy free and free of refined sugars!

Ingredients:

2 ½ -3 lbs. squash, roasted (acorn, butternut, delicata, kabocha)

1 medium yellow onion, rough chopped

1-2 apples, Pink Lady or Granny Smith (about 1lb. total), rough chopped

1 cup organic, apple cider

3 cups vegetable broth

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

Salt

Sumac (substitute nutmeg)

Chopped fresh cranberries & apples for garnish

Optional: coconut cream for a creamier soup

Directions:

1. Roast squash in a 400 degree oven for 30-50 minutes (depending on size of squash) until tender to touch. Remove from oven and allow to cool before removing squash skin.

2. Heat a deep saucepan over medium heat.  Once hot, add a drizzle of avocado oil and chopped onions and apples, sautéing until onions are translucent and apples are beginning to get tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Add roasted squash, apple cider and vegetable broth to pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer for just a few minutes to allow all the flavors to come together

4. In batches, blend soup to a puree in the blender (You could also do this with an immersion blender, but you will not get it as smooth). Once blended, place soup into a large mixing bowl while you blend the next batch. Once all is blended and in mixing bowl, add maple syrup, salt, and sumac to taste. If you can not find sumac, substitute nutmeg.

5.   Garnish with chopped fresh cranberries and apples, could also add a swirl of coconut cream for a creamier soup.