Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

Ingredients:

1 2.5Lbs. Butternut Squash
1.5” Piece of Ginger (xtra used for broth reinforcement)
½ Macintosh or Cortlandt, peeled (Reserve skin and cores for stock reinforcement)
½ Onion
5 Tbls Salted Butter
½ Cup Maple Syrup
Apple Jack or Calvados
½ Cup of Cream (Can use water also)

Stock Reinforcement

3 Cups of Chicken Broth
1 Bay Leaf
Apple Cores & Skin
¼ Onion, Sliced
2 Small Cloves of Garlic
½ Stalk of Celery

Procedure:

1. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Roast squash at 400 degrees F for approximately 1 hour. At the 30 minute mark rotate the pan. At the 45 and 50 minute mark give it a check. When the squash is done it should be soft and easy to spoon out. Allow it to cool.
2. While the squash is roasting, dice up the ginger, core and cut the apples, slice the onion. Add butter to the pot you’ll be preparing the soup in. Melt the butter at a medium heat and add the onions. Let them soften and when they begin to brown add the apples and ginger. Reduce heat slightly continue to cook.
3. In a separate pan pour in the chicken stock. Add apple skins, cores, celery, onion scraps, garlic and bay leaf. Cook at medium to high heat for at least 15-20 minutes.*
4. Carmelized “sucs” will start to form at the bottom of the pan you are cooking the onion mixture in, deglaze with the Apple Jack (Pour the measured amount in off the flame) and scrape up all the sucs (scrape with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon so you don’t scratch up the bottom of the pan).
5. The squash should be cool at this point. Scoop it out and add to a food processor with the maple syrup and cream. Add a small amount of water if the mixture is too thick. Puree.
6. Add onion mixture to food processor. Puree. Pour pureed mixture back into the soup pot. Strain the reinforced broth into the squash/onion mixture. Stir and mix well. Taste and adjust. Keep warm until ready to serve.

*Storebought broth is just not that flavorful and its usually over salted. Reinforcing the broth in this recipe makes a big difference.