Butternut Squash & Apple Soup with Sage and Gruyere Croutons September 23, 2013 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Butternut Squash & Apple Soup with Sage and Gruyere Croutons 2013-09-23 21:09:50 Print Ingredients 1 Tablespoon butter 1 onion, small dice 1 carrot, small dice 1 celery stalk, small dice 2 lbs butternut squash, peeled, medium dice ½ yellow or white potato peeled, medium dice 2 small apples, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger 2 cloves garlic, minced 3-4 cups chicken stock The zest of one orange Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste Sour cream or cream fraiche for garnish Croutons 6 sliced rustic bread, cubed 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage 3 Tablespoons butter, melted ½ cup Gruyere, grated Instructions Sauté onion, carrot, celery, squash and potato in a Dutch oven over medium high heat, cooking until vegetables begin to brown slightly. Add apple, ginger, and garlic and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes. Add stock, and orange zest. Bring to a boil, then reduce. Continue cooking over medium heat until squash is very soft and flavors have merged. Use a hand-held immersion blender to purée the soup. (Alternatively, the soup can be puréed in batches in a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a blender). Taste the soup and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve the soup hot or cold, garnished with a dollop of sour cream, if desired. Croutons Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine bread, butter, and sage in a bowl until well tossed and bread is coated. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until bread begins to turn golden and toasted. Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake an additional minute or two until cheese melts. Serve over soup. By Kelly Sears Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/