Apple Butternut Squash Soup with Rosemary & Chipotle

To roast the squash:
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Wash the outside of the squash and slice in half. Scoop out the seeds and discard them. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil or butter, place squash on the sheet (cut side up) and drizzle with olive oil or melted butter. Bake at 400°F for 30-45 minutes, or until it’s fork-tender, turning the pan and spraying squash with oil or basting with butter halfway through (at 15-20 minutes).

To roast the apples, onion and garlic:
Coat another rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Place apples and onions on sheet and drizzle with olive oil then season with salt and pepper. Cut the top off a garlic bulb, place in an aluminum foil square (big enough to wrap around bulb) coat the cloves with olive oil, wrap bulb and put on the baking sheet with apples and onions. Bake at 400°F for 20-30 minutes, or until soft and browning. Stir at ten minutes and every five minutes thereafter until fork tender.

When done remove both pans from the oven. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of bulbs into a bowl and discard garlic “paper”.

In a medium-sized pot over medium-low to medium heat, add the butter, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, rosemary (stripping the leaves from the stem first), nutmeg and ground chipotle. Cook until fragrant (around 30 seconds).

Add the roasted squash, onions, apples and roasted garlic, plus 4 1/2 cups of stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover and cook until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth.

Add the remaining stock to thin the soup, if desired. Season to taste with the lemon juice, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serve in bowls and garnish with a dollop of crème fraiche (or sour cream or Greek yogurt), black pepper and fresh thyme.

Storage tip: Keep it in fridge for a couple days, but freeze it if you will not be eating it right away.