Ingredients:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 cups peeled, seeded, and ½-inch cubed winter squash
2 cups chopped sweetie sweet onions
½ cup coarsely chopped carrots
½ cup coarsely chopped celery
2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped, plus an extra apple fro garnish
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
½ teaspoon crumbled dried sage
5 cups chicken stock
1 ½ cups apple cider, divided
Salt
2/3 cup sour cream
5 bacon slices, sautéed until crisp, drained, and crumbled
Directions:
Melt the butter in a large, heavy pan set over medium-high heat. When hot, add squash, leeks, carrots, and celery and sauté, stirring frequently, until vegetables have softened slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Add apples, thyme, and sage. Add stock and 1 cup of the cider. Bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently until vegetables and apples are tender, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Meanwhile, make the cider cream. Boil remaining ½ cup cider in a small, heavy saucepan until it reduces to ¼ cup, for about 5 minutes. Cool, then place sour cream in a small bowl and whisk in reduced cider. (Cider cream can be prepared 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate until needed.)
Puree the soup in batches in a food processor, blender, or food mill, and return soup to the pot. Taste soup and season with salt, as needed.
For the garnish, halve and core the reserved apple, then cut one half into 12 paper-thin slices.
To serve, ladle soup into 6 shallow bowls and drizzle with cider cream. Garnish each serving with crumbled bacon and a couple slices of apple.
Serves: 6
Recipe by: Sunday Soup by Betty Rosbottom, Chronicle Books, 2008