1Honeycrisp apple, cored, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
kosher salt + black pepper
3garlic cloves, minced
4cupsbutternut squash (about 1.5 lbs), peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch chunks
4cupschicken or vegetable broth
¾teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonground black pepper
1cupwhole milk
2cupssharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1tablespoonhoney
¼teaspoonground cinnamon
¼teaspoonground cloves
¼teaspoonground nutmeg
¼teaspooncayenne pepper
1tablespoonthyme, diced
Pecan Crumble
1cupchopped pecans
½cupold-fashioned oats
2tablespoonall-purpose flour
2tablespoonlight brown sugar
½teaspoonground cinnamon
¼teaspoonground nutmeg
¼teaspoonsalt
4tablespoonunsalted butter, at room temperature
Instructions
Soup
In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onions and apple. Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5-7 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add broth, butternut squash, salt and pepper to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the butternut squash is tender, which should take about 15-20 minutes. Turn off the heat and puree with a handheld immersion blender until smooth. You can also add to blender in batches and puree.
Add the milk, cheese, honey, cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg, cayenne pepper and thyme and stir. Bring to simmer and taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. If you need to thin the soup, just add some water. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with some pecan crumble.
Pecan Crumble
Preheat oven to 350°F. Make the crumble by combining the chopped pecans, oats, flour sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl. Use a pastry blender or 2 knives to work in the butter until topping resembles coarse meal.
Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Notes
Use quality low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth. Remember a lot of the flavor will come from the broth.
Use an immersion blender to puree the vegetables. It is much easier than adding to the blender in batches.
Do not skip on adding the milk as it adds richness and mouthfeel you wouldn't get otherwise. If you don't want to use whole milk, you could try coconut milk.
Don't use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t taste as good and also has additional ingredients that you don’t need.