This is a recipe I have made a few times. It makes the house smell like Thanksgiving! Although lately I can’t seem to recreate the soup I made the first time. I don’t know what I did differently about the recipe. I have a feeling it has to do with the quality of the chicken stock. I bought a brand here in New York that looked like water when I poured it out of the box! I also think I added extra thyme and sage the first time since I love those flavors in the soup. Anyway, this is how I made it.
Chop up all the vegetables, although buying the butternut squash makes it a lot easier!
Add the stock, cider, apple and thyme and sage.
Simmer a little longer and puree with a stick blender. I didn’t add the cream this time. It tastes good with the cream but wanted to go more healthy this time.
The cider cream is sour cream with reduced apple cider stirred in.
I served this to Henry and he had made some cream cheese wontons that day to go with it. He said the soup was too sweet. I agreed. It was lacking in flavor so I need to remember to add a much richer saltier stock for the soup and amp up the thyme and sage. Normally I put chives on top but only had green onions today. The chives are better and actually make a difference.
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
- 2 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)
- 1/2 cup chopped peeled carrot
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried sage leaves
- 5 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups apple cider
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- Chopped fresh chives
Preparation
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add squash, leeks, carrot and celery; sauté until slightly softened, about 15 minutes. Mix in apples, thyme and sage. Add stock and 1 cup cider and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until apples are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly.
Working in batches, purée soup in blender. Return soup to pan. Boil remaining 1/2 cup cider in heavy small saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Cool. Place sour cream in small bowl. Whisk in reduced cider. (Soup and cider cream can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.)
Bring soup to simmer. Mix in whipping cream. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with cider cream. Top with chives.