Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Apples (Gluten-Free)

Celiac.com 10/24/2019 - Rich, savory, creamy and delicious, butternut squash soup is a huge favorite for fall. This velvety version, is hearty, easy to make and sure to please. Best of all, it's gluten-free!

Ingredients for 6 portions:

Celiac.com Sponsor (A12):
For the sage brown butter:

• 3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6-8 large sage leaves

For the soup:

• 3½ pound butternut squash, cut lengthwise
• 2 Granny Smith or other crisp, tart apples, peeled, cored, and chopped, plus 1 fresh apple, finely diced and tossed in lemon juice, for garnish
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 diced onion
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• 6 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed
• 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• sage-infused brown butter
• Crisp bacon, creme fraiche or sour cream, and chopped chives as a garnish

Directions:
Roast squash, carrots, garlic, apples, and onions in a roasting pan at 400 degrees F for about one hour, until squash is soft.

Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Heat, stirring, until butter begins to turn brown. Stir in sage leaves.

As sage leaves begin to crisp up, add roasted squash, carrots, garlic, apples, and onions, salt, cumin, coriander, ginger, cayenne, black pepper, and stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Cooking longer will yield a darker, richer soup.

Purée in small batches in a food processor or blender until smooth, strain, and return to saucepan. Heat over low, thinning with more chicken stock as needed. 

Adjust flavor with a splash of maple syrup or honey and/or apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.

Serve in shallow bowls, garnished with toasted gluten-free bread, diced apples, bacon, creme fraiche or sour cream, and chopped chives as desired.