Apple Butternut Squash Soup

2 pounds mashed butternut squash
4 large shallots – chopped
1 clove garlic – chopped
olive oil
2 large apples, peeled, cored, chopped
1 cup white wine
2 cups stock
bay leaf
sage
black pepper
salt

heat a stock pot – with enough olive oil to sweat aromatics – over medium low heat

Dice, chop and/or mince shallots and garlic; sweat in prepared pot

peel, core and chop apples (I used granny smiths); add to sweating aromatics

add wine wine (I used a Sauvignon Blanc) and let stew over low heat for 15-20 minutes

add 2 pounds of mashed butternut squash
I had roasted, mashed and frozen the squash last fall so I just thawed it

stir to incorporate – add 2 cups stock (I used a homemade chicken I had frozen but vegetable should work too) and stir again

season with a bay leaf, crushed sage leaves and fresh ground black pepper

keep over low heat for about an hour (simmer is too strong, just want to keep the heat up to meld all the flavors)

remove bay leaf and puree with a stick blender until smooth – add about 4 oz of apple sauce (I used a single serve cup) – mix and add a new bay leaf – continue to heat on low – season to taste with salt, pepper and anything else that strikes your fancy (I will try adding a dash of chili powder to a bowl since I’m unsure of the outcome)

Basic conversion I used was 1 cup stock per pound of squash – very scale-able. Add more stock if the soup seems too thick. A large jab of apple sauce can be used in place of fresh apples. Substitute apple juice for stock for a sweeter soup.

garnish with pepitas (pumpkin seeds), chopped fresh apple, sour cream (or greek yogurt), finely minced mushrooms