As we transition to cooler temperatures, I crave braised dishes, Sunday sauce simmering on the stovetop, cozy soups, roasted vegetables, the list goes on. To celebrate all things Fall, Square Meal Round Table and I have organized another seasonal recipe collaboration, where we partner with chefs, bloggers, bakers, and home cooks all over the world to bring you recipes that highlight one single seasonal ingredient, and this Fall, we’re highlighting apples! There is nothing quite like a juicy apple in the peak of it’s season, and we are so excited to share with you the many ways you can incorporate them into your own cooking projects at home. You’ll find everything from chai spiced apple tarte tatin, apple and cheddar scones, to apple crumb cakes, and more!
Topped with sage + asiago croutons!
My recipe is this butternut squash and apple soup that I top with homemade sage and asiago croutons. Apples and butternut squash are quintessential autumn ingredients, and they balance one another so perfectly in this soup. Butternut squash has a high starch content, which means once cooked down until very soft, it makes for an incredibly rich tasting and velvety textured soup. Combined with a hint of sweetness from the apples, as well as the sage and asiago croutons, this soup is like a hug in a bowl. The soup itself is pretty simple – I season it generously throughout the cooking process with salt and pepper, and add just a pinch of ground nutmeg at the end and a little cayenne for some heat. I love soup, but I think what makes it feel like a more balanced and complete meal is by adding some texture, and that’s where these homemade croutons come in! These croutons are so delicious and the sage and asiago compliment the flavors of the soup so nicely, but if you want to keep this lighter by omitting the croutons, I would recommend bumping up the spice level to the soup by adding in some curry powder, or perhaps more nutmeg and cayenne. Another healthy option that would add some texture in lieu of croutons would be to bake off some crunchy curried chickpeas.
Butternut Squash + Apple Soup with Sage + Asiago Croutons
Ingredients
- Soup:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion diced (about 3 cups diced, two small yellow onions would work as well)
- 2 cloves garlic diced
- 5 lbs butternut squash peeled, seeded, and diced (About 10 cups once cubed; I used two 2.5 lb butternut squashes, but you could use 5 lbs of whatever seasonal and ripe squash you can find)
- 4 small apples peeled, seeded, and diced (I used 2 fuji and 2 granny smith, yielded about 4 cups once cubed up)
- 3 cups low sodium chicken or veggie stock
- Salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch of cayenne
- Optional: 1/2 cup water
- Croutons:
- 14 oz loaf of sourdough or country style baguette cubed up into bite sized cubes, around 1"
- 5 Tablespoons olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 3 and 1/2 Tablespoons chopped up fresh sage about 20 leaves
- 1/3 cup or more! shredded asiago cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375* F.
- In a heavy bottom stock pot or enameled cast iron dutch oven, cook the onions in olive oil until soft and until they start to turn golden brown. Add the diced garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute or so.
- Add the cubed up squash, apple, and chicken stock to the pot, season generously with salt and pepper and give everything a good stir. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook until the apples and the squash are soft, about 20-30 minutes.
- While the soup is simmering, prepare the croutons by tossing them in 5 tablespoons of olive oil to really get them coated, and spread onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and your chopped up fresh sage.
- Bake the croutons for about 10-12 mins, until slightly golden brown, take out of the oven, and push the cubes of bread really close together, and sprinkle with the grated asiago and pop back into the oven for an additional 5 mins until cheese melts slightly, then remove from heat and turn off oven. (if you don't push the bread pieces together a lot of the cheese will melt between them on the baking sheet and you won't get that goodness on your croutons!)
- When the apples and squash are cooked and soft, transfer everything to a blender and blend to desired consistency - if you have an immersion blender this would be the perfect time to use it!
- Transfer the soup back into your pot, season with salt and pepper again, add the nutmeg, and a pinch or two of cayenne for some spice. If you want to thin out the soup a bit, (I usually do) add 1/2 cup water and give everything a stir.
- Serve soup into individual bowls and top with croutons, enjoy!
Join the fun – show us how you’re cooking, baking, and grilling with apples this Fall by sharing a photo of your delicious masterpiece and use the hashtag, #aisforalltheapples ! Be sure to head over below links for some serious apple inspiration!
Cloudy Kitchen’s Salted Caramel and Apple Babka
Square Meal Round Table’s Chai Spiced Tarte Tatin
The Wood and Spoon’s Maple Apple Cake
The Cooking of Joy’s Deep Fried Apple Dumplings with Miso Caramel Dipping Sauce
Pensive Foodie’s Mini Bacon Crusted Apple Pies
My Kitchen Love’s Bird’s Nest Caramel Apple Cake
More Icing Than Cake’s Apple Butter Pretzels with Rosemary Cheddar Dip
Casey Joy Lister’s Waldorf Salad’s Twisted Sister
The Kitchen Sink’s Apple Cheddar Loaf
What Should I Make For’s Apple Puff Pastry Tarts
Jessie Sheehan Bakes’ Apple Fritters
Smart in the Kitchen’s Gluten Free Apple Cranberry Crisp
This Healthy Table’s Cardamom Apple Tart
Figs & Flour’s Apple Purple Potato Pizza
Something New for Dinner’s Savory Bread Pudding with Apples, Sausage, and Pecan
Always Eat Dessert’s Apple Spice Scones with Maple Bourbon Glaze
Rezel Kealoha’s Rose Poached Apples with Rosewater Reduction
The Soup Solution’s Fennel Sausage and and Apple Dressing (Stuffing)
Lemon Thyme and Ginger’s Smoky Maple Apple Dutch Baby
Gobble the Cook’s One Pan Pork Chops and Sausages with Apple
Hola Jalapeno’s Fluffy Apple Chili Biscuits
Salt and Wind’s Pomegranate Ginger Apple Cider Punch
Flours in Your Hair’s Brown Butter Bourbon Apple Pie
Confetti Kitchen’s Kale Salad with Chicken and Apple
Salted Plains’ Gluten-Free Apple Crumb Cake
Easy and Delish’s Fun Candy Corn Apple Pops
This Mess is Ours’ Easy Baked Apple Custard
Butter Loves Company’s Gingerbread with Brandied Apples
Zestful Kitchen’s Puffed Apple Pancake
Sweet Pillar Food’s Apple Honey Brie
A Farmgirl’s Dabbles Peanut Butter Apple Cookies
Amee’s Savory Dish’s Peanut Butter Protein Dip
Especially Southern Dishes’ Apple Pie Egg Rolls
Pie Girl Bakes’ Salted Caramel Apple Pie
Cocoa and Salt’s Vegan Apple Stuffin’ Muffins
Saltnpepperhere’s Honey Apple Muffins
Worthy Pause’s Thanksgiving-in-Your-Mouth Paleo Stuffing
Baking The Goods’ Apple Cheddar and Thyme Scones
Smart in the Kitchen’s Gluten Free Apple Cranberry Crisp
Measuring Cups Optional’s Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake
Inspired by the Seasons’ Brussels Sprout & Apple Slaw
Sprouting Radiance’s White Bean and Apple Soup
Feed the Swimmer’s Apple Buckwheat Galette with Halva and Maple Tahini
It’s a Veg World After All’s Individual Microwave Apple Crisp
Farm and Coast Cookery’s Apple Cider Donut “French Toast”
Did you make this recipe?
I want to see your delicious creation! Leave me a comment below, and share a photo and tag me on Instagram with the hashtag, #whatannieseating !
Beautiful. I love the addition of the croutons!