Butternut Squash Soup with Fontina Cheese Crostini

By Shawn

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs butter, at room temperature
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 med onion chopped
• 1 med carrot, peeled, chopped into 1/2" pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-1/2 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4" pieces (about 7-8 cups)
• 2 granny smith apples, peeled and chopped
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh sage leaes
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Crostini
• 1/2 baguette, sliced diagonally into 1/2" thick slices
• extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
• 2 Tbs chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1 cup grated fontina cheese
• kosher salt

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Preparation

Step 1

In an 8 quart stockpot, add the butter and oil. Melt together over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and cook until onion is soft about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic about 30 seconds. Add the squash and the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the sage. Continue to boil until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat.

For the crostini: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the bread slice on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sage. Sprinkle the cheese on top and season with salt. Bake until the cheese has melted and the bread is light golden, about 6-8 minutes.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with crostini.