Oct 3

Oct 3 Roasted Honeynut Squash & Apple Soup with Onion & Thyme

Like clockwork, the first frost of the season brings on a soup craving for me! Coincidentally, squash, pumpkin, and all the autumn veggies appear at the markets and I cannot resist bringing them home.

My friend Allie brings me a batch of her mom’s butternut squash soup each year, and I love her addition of a Granny Smith apple! It’s a little sweet, a little tart, and perfectly suited to the mild squash. She also adds the spice “savory" which I can never seem to find, so when recreating my own version, I substituted poultry seasoning. It's a mix of sage, thyme, marjoram, rosemary and nutmeg… all reminiscent of a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

This Roasted Honeynut Squash & Apple Soup is the perfect starter course for your Thanksgiving meal!

The Honeynut Squash I used, they look like mini Butternuts. However, they have a thinner, more tender skin, making them far easier to cut through. You don't need to peel the skins off the squash or the apples since they’ll purée nicely with the immersion blender, and add some fiber without the chunks. If you can't find Honeynut, substitute Butternut, but I suggest peeling those first.

Honeynut squash are just like mini Butternut squash, only more tender, and easier to work with!

All the caramelized flavors of the vegetables and the warm spices come together nicely for a wonderful autumn lunch, or a perfect starter course for your Thanksgiving meal. My favorite part was choosing what to garnish the soup with… pomegranate seeds, toasted pumpkin seeds, homemade croutons, a swirl of plain yogurt or red pepper puree? I went for a combination of the plain non-dairy yogurt, some pretty pomegranate seeds and a few glazed pecans. It was incredible!

Ingredients:

4 Honeynut squash (or 2 medium Butternut squash)
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, halved lengthwise
1 Granny Smith apple
9-10 sprigs fresh thyme
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/3 cup dry white wine
6 cups good quality vegetable broth
salt & pepper, to taste
nutmeg (a sprinkle, for garnish)
Garnish of choice: pomegranate seeds, croutons, glazed nuts, plain yogurt non-dairy for a vegan option), toasted pumpkin seeds, etc)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Slice the squash in half lengthwise, and discard all the seeds and strings. Cut the squash and apples in to 1-2” chunks and spread them on a rimmed baking sheet. Add the garlic halves and the thyme. Toss everything lightly with about 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Bake 20-30 minutes until they are easily pierced with a fork and browned at the edges.

Roasting the squash & apples together with the thyme softens the vegetables but also intensifies their flavor.

Meanwhile, in a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add all the sliced onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir occasionally, so the onions caramelize and turn soft and golden, not black at all. I prefer to cook the onions separately to really intensify their flavor and soften them up.

Add the roasted vegetables and apples to the onions, but discard the cooked thyme. (The stems will be brittle and break apart in the soup.) Sprinkle in the poultry seasoning and stir 1 minute, warming and releasing the natural oils. Deglaze the pot with the white wine, scraping any bits from the bottom. Pour the vegetable broth over the top. Season with a few cranks of fresh ground pepper and turn the heat to low. Cover and let it simmer 20-30 minutes.

Remove the cover and purée with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. (You can also blend in batches, in a standard blender.) Season with salt and pepper, as needed, and a sprinkle of nutmeg (freshly grated is best!) Ladle into soup bowls and garnish how you like.