(with toasted pumpkin seeds)
The key to a good soup is layering and developing flavors. There are many ways to do that, add seasoning throughout the cooking, roasting your vegetables, slowly simmering to cook out water, etc. But the most important thing to do is taste throughout. This is true off all cooking, but essential for soups and sauces.
Ingredients
2 medium butternut squashes
1 granny smith apple, diced halved lengthwise and seeds removed
5 c vegetable stock (or chicken)
¼ c fresh ginger, diced
4 tsp butter (or EVOO)
2 whole cinnamon sticks
1 c onion, diced
fresh nutmeg
½ c celery, diced
14 sage leaves
½ c carrots, diced
½ c toasted pumpkin seeds
Directions
Preheat oven to 375. Place the squash halves cut side up on a backing sheet and
pour over melted butter. Brush to cover the flesh and season with salt and pepper.
Bake for 30 - 40 min until the flesh is fork tender. Remove and place on a rack
to cool.
Place a large soup pot over medium heat. Add 2 tbs butter (or EVOO) and add onion,
celery, carrot. Season with salt and pepper, then grate in some fresh cinnamon. After
grating add the two whole sticks to the pot (so the cinnamon toasts). Grate in fresh
nutmeg. Cook 5 min stirring often then add the apple and half the ginger. Cook
an addition 5 min until veggies are soft.
Once cool, scoop the flesh out of the squash directly into the pot. Chop and add
6 sage leaves, then add your stock. Bring the heat to med high and the soup to a
boil, stirring trying to break up any large pieces of squash. Once boiling, lower the
heat till the soup simmers (so you see 1 or 2 bubbles a second, no more). Add the
rest of the fresh ginger, more fresh nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook for at least 30
min for the flavors to meld (cook longer for more flavor). Remove the cinnamon
sticks and using an immersion blender blend the soup until silky smooth (alternatively
you can blend in batches in a blender or processor). Taste and add more salt, pepper
or fresh nutmeg accordingly.
Serve with fried sage leaf and toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish.
