Roasted Butternut–Apple Soup with Brown-Butter Sage Croutons

When the market smells like leaves and the apples go snappy, I make this pot. It’s the color of late afternoon, sweet from roasted squash and apples, savory from onion and garlic, and brightened with a tiny splash of cider so it doesn’t taste like baby food. The sage croutons are the hook: they bob like little toasts, making the whole bowl taste like sweater weather.

Yield: 4–6 bowls • Time: 20 min prep + 45–55 min cook • Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

Component	Ingredient	US	Metric	Notes
Roast	Butternut squash, peeled & cubed	1 medium (2.5–3 lb whole)	~900 g flesh	¾–1 in cubes
	Apples (Honeycrisp/Gala), chunked	2 medium	300 g	Peel optional
	Carrot, chunked	1 large	120 g	Adds body
	Yellow onion, chunked	1 medium	180 g
	Garlic, unpeeled cloves	4	4	Roast in skins
	Olive oil	3 Tbsp	45 g	For roasting
	Fine sea salt	1 tsp	6 g	Plus more to taste
	Black pepper	½ tsp	1 g
Simmer	Veg or chicken stock	4 cups	950 ml	Warm
	Apple cider or water + cider vinegar	½ cup	120 ml	1–2 tsp vinegar if no cider
	Fresh thyme	4 sprigs	—	or ½ tsp dried
	Ground nutmeg (optional)	⅛ tsp	0.25 g
Finish	Heavy cream or coconut milk	¼–½ cup	60–120 ml	Optional
	Butter or olive oil	1–2 Tbsp	14–28 g	For gloss
Croutons	Sourdough/country bread, ¾-in cubes	4 cups	200 g	Day-old best
	Unsalted butter	3 Tbsp	42 g	For browning
	Fresh sage, finely chopped	1 Tbsp	2 g	Plus extra leaves
	Fine sea salt	¼ tsp	1.5 g
	Olive oil (if needed)	1 Tbsp	15 g

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Heat & prep Heat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large sheet pan with parchment. Peel, seed, and cube the squash; chunk apples, carrot, and onion. Leave garlic cloves in their skins.

2. Season & roast (30–40 min)On the pan, toss squash, apple, carrot, onion, and garlic with 3 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper. Spread in one layer. Roast 20 minutes, stir, then roast 10–20 minutes more until squash edges are deeply caramelized and fork-tender. Tip everything (plus pan juices) into a soup pot.

3. Deglaze the pan (2 min)While the pan’s hot, pour on ¼ cup stock, scrape browned bits, and add to the pot. Flavor gold.

4. Build the base Squeeze roasted garlic from skins into the pot. Add remaining stock, ½ cup cider (or water + 1–2 tsp cider vinegar), thyme, and nutmeg if using.

5. Simmer (10–12 min)Bring to a gentle simmer, uncovered, 10–12 minutes to meld. Remove thyme stems.

6. Blend safely (2–4 min)Use an immersion blender to puree until velvety smooth. (Countertop blender: vent lid, blend in batches, towel over lid.)Taste and season: add salt by ¼ tsp (1.5 g) and pepper to brighten. If flat, add another ½–1 tsp cider vinegar.

7. Finish the textureStir in ¼–½ cup cream or coconut milk to taste. Off heat, swirl in 1–2 Tbsp butter or olive oil for sheen.

8. Brown-butter sage croutons (while soup simmers)In a large skillet, melt 3 Tbsp butter over medium until foamy and the milk solids turn nutty brown, 2–3 min.Add sage; sizzle 10–15 sec. Immediately add bread cubes and ¼ tsp salt; toss to coat.Cook, stirring, until deep golden and crisp, 5–8 min. If dry, add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Cool on a rack (they crisp further).

9. Serve Ladle soup into warm bowls. Top with a handful of sage croutons. Optional: drizzle olive oil, add fried sage leaves, or cracked pepper.

10. Storage & reheating

    • Soup: 4 days refrigerated or 2 months frozen. Reheat gently; thin with stock/water if needed.

    • Croutons: airtight 2 days; recrisp at 350°F (175°C) for 4–6 min.

Swaps & Notes

• Vegan: Use olive oil and coconut milk; skip butter.

• Protein boost: Add 1 can white beans (drained) to the simmer and blend.

• Spice route: Try ½ tsp curry powder or ¼ tsp smoked paprika with the nutmeg.

• No butternut? Kabocha, acorn, or delicata (no peeling for delicata) — aim for ~900 g flesh total.