Name: Roasted Squash and Apple Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 800 g butternut squash, peeled and cubed; 2 apples, about 300 g, cored and chopped; 1 onion, about 150 g, quartered; 2 tbsp olive oil; 4 fresh sage leaves, about 2 g; ½ tsp salt; 750 ml vegetable stock; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 4 tbsp double cream; ½ tsp black pepper

Roasted Squash and Apple Soup

Butternut squash and apple roasted until caramelised, then simmered with onion and stock and blended smooth.

1 hr total Serves 4 servings Easy

The Case for Roasted Squash and Apple Soup

The first sign it is ready is the smell: squash and apple turning dark gold at the edges in the oven, sweet and a little smoky. That caramelised edge is the flavour of the soup, and boiling would never give it.

Cut the squash and apples into even pieces, toss them with the oil, onion, salt and sage, and spread them on a tray in one layer. Roast at 200°C / 390°F for 35 minutes, turning once. If your oven runs hot, check at 30 minutes. Do not crowd the tray. Squash piled up steams and stays pale.

Tip everything into a pan with the stock, simmer for 10 minutes, and blend until completely smooth. Hot liquid in a blender needs care: fill the jug no more than half and hold the lid down under a cloth.

A squeeze of lemon lifts the sweetness at the end. Serve with a swirl of cream and a few crisp sage leaves.

What Goes With It

Crusty bread
Cheese scones
Toasted pumpkin seeds
Green salad

Making Roasted Squash and Apple Soup, Step by Step

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Heat the oven to 200°C / 390°F. Toss the squash, apples, onion, oil, sage and salt on a large tray and spread in one layer.
Roast for 35 minutes, turning once, until the edges are dark gold.
Tip into a pan with the stock and simmer for 10 minutes.
Blend until completely smooth, stir in the lemon juice and pepper and reheat gently.
Serve with a swirl of the cream.

Worth Knowing Before You Cook

Roast in one layer.

Cut the pieces the same size.

If your oven runs hot, check at 30 minutes.

Blend hot soup in small batches.

Changing the Recipe

In a sauce, full-fat crème fraîche can usually take the place of the double cream; single cream is thinner and more likely to split if it boils, so keep it below a simmer.

Storing and Reheating

Keeps in the fridge for 4 days. Reheat gently.