Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sage-Gruyere Crostini

I absolutely love the colors of fall and watching the leaves change to dark red, rich oranges, and bright yellows. I could sit outside for hours just staring at the trees and breathing in the crisp autumn air. I am definitely the kind of person who loves having all four seasons, especially fall.

This roasted butternut squash soup is now my go-to autumn dish to make.The butternut squash turns it a beautifully saturated orange hue that reminds me of the leaves outside. The soup melds the flavors of butternut squash, tart apples, and sage so it’s basically autumn in a bowl! And why stop there when you can top it with a slice of toasted baguette (re: as many as your heart desires) with chopped sage and melty gruyere cheese?

And fortunately, this soup is so easy to put together and is perfect for leftovers. Most of the time spent making this soup is waiting for the butternut squash to roast in the oven, which gave me just enough time to put my laundry in the washing machine and transfer it to the dryer. I love when I can be efficient and multi-task! And then once the squash is roasted, the soup comes together so quickly that you’ll be asking for seconds before you know it.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sage-Gruyere Crostini

Yield: 3-4 servings

Adapted from Chowhound

Ingredients:

Soup

• 1 medium butternut squash- peeled, seeded, and cubed (~ 2 cups)
• Olive oil
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 medium firm, tart apple (I used Bramley’s Seedling)- peeled and diced
• 4 fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup half-and-half or heavy cream, optional
• Maple syrup, optional (good if your apple is on the tarter side)

Crostini

• Demi-baguette or half a baguette
• Fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
• Gruyere cheese, finely grated

 

Directions:

Set oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 425°F. Place cubed butternut squash on baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for about 35-45 minutes, or until squash is fork tender. Keep oven on and lower to 400°F.

In Dutch oven or deep saucepan, heat butter and some olive oil on medium heat. Sauté diced apples and sage until softened, about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add roasted squash and chicken broth so that the apples and squash are just covered with broth.

Stir to combine and bring to a boil over medium-heat heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes, breaking up larger pieces of squash with a wooden spoon. Meanwhile, slice baguette and lay on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and top with chopped sage and grated gruyere. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until bread is lightly golden brown and cheese is melted.

Remove soup from heat and add half-and-half or heavy cream, if desired. Using a blender, purée the soup in batches until smooth (careful- it’s hot!). Another option is using an immersion blender directly in the saucepan. To thin soup, add more chicken broth until soup reaches desired consistency.

Ladle soup into individual bowls and serve with sage-gruyere crostini.