Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Apple Chips

I was really inspired to make more soup recipes after making my Cream-less Broccoli soup. I forgot how easy and hearty soups can be. They compliment any meal and can even be a meal on its own (when paired with a big green salad of course!). Last Thanksgiving I made this soup and I knew I wanted to make it again to share it with all of you. And since it’s only October, you have ample time to test this out before Turkey Day!This soup is inspired by Dig Inn – a seasonal restaurant right here in NYC where they always serve farm-to-table fresh produce. Since squash is all the rage during the Fall season I knew it would be the perfect time to tackle this soup. By the way, have you guys eaten at Dig Inn yet? It is seriously one of my favorite lunch spots in the city! I can always count on them for affordable clean food. Plus you cannot beat their prices.Anyways back to this amazing soup…. I decided the best time to test out this recipe would be at a family dinner. I had the perfect opportunity the other night when my cousins would be coming over for dinner. I couldn’t wait for them to try it. You know when you make something and you want to stand over everyone’s shoulders and ask how it is? Well, I tried really hard to be on my best behavior and I managed to just subtly ask how they liked the soup….
Well!! Everyone loved it! At first my uncle said he would just have a taste because he doesn’t like butternut squash soup; he thinks its too sweet. But then he asked for seconds and thirds. How could he not?! This soup is bursting with warm comforting flavors. Roasting the vegetables first helped to caramelize them, which brought out all their natural flavors. The real secret to this soup is the roasted green apple, which pairs  perfectly with the roasted red onion they both compliment each other really well.

Since I think every soup needs some type of crunch I thought I would add in the crunchy chickpeas from my last soup recipe. Apple chips! It was the perfect garnish to tie all the soup ingredients together. And if you want, you can always add a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds for added protein, iron, and crunch. Really, who needs a holiday?! This soup is going to be a staple all year in my house. It can be made smooth and creamy or you can make it chunky with added some cubes of butternut squash or sweet potato. Make it your own! Or you can make it my way. Either way you’ll fall in love. Hey, Fall isn’t that bad…knit sweaters, boots, ripped jeans and soup!

Recipe pre-heat oven 350

• 1 large butternut squash cut in half
• 3 carrots peeled 
• 1 large red onion cut in quarters
• 1 green apple cut in half
• dash of cinnamon to taste
• salt to taste (you will need to add more than you think)
• 2 cups of vegetable stock
• 4 cups of water
• Optional: dash of cayenne or hot sauce- off sets the sweetness

1. On a large baking tray lined with parchment paper and non-stick spray place butternut squash (face down), carrots, onion and apple on the tray. sprinkle with a little cinnamon and salt. 
2. Let cook for 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and take the cooked apple off the tray and set aside. Cook remaining vegetables for around 45 minutes or until caramelized so a total of 1 hour and 45 minutes.
3. Once cooked and cooled, place all ingredients in a blender (you may need to do two batches of this – it will not all fit in your blender) add 2 cups of vegetable stock and 4 cups of water. Blend until smooth. Transfer into a large pot and place over the stove to warm. Add salt and cinnamon to taste.– or you can use an immersion blender.

Apple Chips–Garnish: (you can do this in a separate oven while your vegetables cook)

preheat oven to 300

• 2 green apples

1. Slice your apples really thin, you want to make sure they are evenly sliced to avoid one over cooking while the other is under done. You can use a mandolin if you have one I did it without.
2. Place apples on a tray lined with parchment and non stick spray. Make sure they are not over lapping each other. Cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until golden brown. I recommend keeping an eye on them because the timing depends on how thinly they are sliced.