Roasted Pumpkin-Apple Soup

Apples add a hint of sweetness to the velvety smooth texture of the pumpkin soup.

This soup can be made up to 3 days ahead of time, refrigerated and reheated in microwave.

Look in the organic aisle for the chicken broth lowest in sodium (When I don't have homemade chicken broth on hand, I use Imagine brand of low sodium chicken broth which yields the lowest amount of sodium). I've used walnut oil instead of hazelnut oil and it also works great.

4 lbs. pie pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch chunks

4 lg sweet-tart apples (cameo, braeburn), unpeeled, cored and cut into eighths

1/4 c olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 tblsp fresh sage (or 1 tsp dried)

6 c reduced sodium chicken broth

1/3 c chopped hazelnuts, roasted

2 tblsp hazelnut oil

Preheat oven to 45o. Toss pumpkin (or squash), apples, olive oil, 3/4 tsp salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread evenly a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring once, for 30 minutes.

Stir in sage and continue roasting until very tender and starting to brown, 15-20 minutes more. Transfer about 1/3 of pumpkin (or squash) and apples to a blender along with 2 c broth. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a dutch oven and repeat for two more batches. Season with remaining with 1/4 tsp. salt and heat through over med. low heat, stirring continuously to prevent splattering, for about 6 minutes. Serve each portion topped with hazelnuts and drizzled with hazelnut oil.