Soup is the heart of all comfort food. There's something about the warmth it delivers to the body and soul. When we're sick, we don't want a burger. We want a big bowl of chicken noodle soup. One of the best parts of fall is being able to get back into the soup craze and seasonal fall produce purees beautifully. Roasted butternut squash soup is a favorite but we're giving it a little twist today with another seasonal favorite, apples.

The first fall meal in this series is what inspired this recipe, Maple Roasted Pork Tenderloin. The combination of butternut squash and apple roasting together is perfection. It worked well covered in an olive oil-maple syrup mixture so why wouldn't it work as a soup? The answer, it absolutely does. This recipe is incredibly easy to make and just as tasty. Roast some chickpeas and add them on top for a nice crunch and you're good to go.

There are two ways you can roast squash. One, do as instructed in this recipe and roast them whole. After they've cooled a bit, spoon it out into the pot. Or you can peel your squash and cut it into cubes. Roasting it this way will be much quicker so keep that in mind if you're on a bit of a time crunch. The smaller you dice the squash, the less time it takes to fully roast. I like to season the squash before putting it in the oven. In the cavity, add a few sage leaves and over the entire flesh sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper. The aromas will fill your home beautifully. The apples are softened on the stove in a pot which is where you will add the roasted squash and blend together.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND APPLE SOUP
Ingredients:
1 Large Butternut Squash, halved and seeded
2-3 tbsp Olive Oil
6 Sage Leaves
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
2 MacIntosh Apples, peeled, cores removed and diced
1/2 Chicken or Vegetable Stock
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Prepare a baking sheet with tin foil. Place each half of the squash flesh side up. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon. Place the sage leaves in the cavities. Roast 40-50 minutes until fork tender. Remove from the oven and let cool.

3. In a medium pot, add the apples and a splash of chicken stock. Cook stirring frequently until softened. Discard the sage leaves from the squash and scoop in the pot. Add the remaining chicken stock and heat through.

4. Remove the pot from the heat. Very carefully, use an immersion blender to puree the vegetable mix until smooth. If the soup is too thick for your preference, add a splash of stock at a time until you've found your desired consistency. Serve immediately.