Hello Newport Sea Salt friends!

If you are reading this recipe, I just want to say, thank you! Recently, I had a lovely customer at our farmer’s market tell me that she visits our website for recipe inspiration and I was ahem, slightly ecstatic and yet, slightly embarrassed as it has been awhile! To know that there are actually customers (and not just my family - Hi Mom!) reading my posts provided some much needed encouragement.

I posted the ‘Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sage’ when we first started our website and I included a story about making my favorite soup and how it ended with a trip to the ER - you can read that here if you like. I have since made this recipe every fall and have gotten over my fear of cutting up this waxy skinned beauty to benefit from scooping out the seeds to roast and add a garnish to the soup. It’s such a game changer with the Rosemary and Thyme roasted squash seeds. I found myself snacking on them and had less and less to garnish our soup bowls with! ;)

I love to make it for our family and share it with friends - it’s like comfort in a bowl. Hope you too enjoy it!

Happy Fall!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sage

2 TBSP Coconut Oil

1 large butternut squash (about 3 1/2 lbs) or PRE-CUT :)

Newport Sea Salt’s Rosemary and Thyme to sprinkle on the butternut squash before roasting and for the squash seeds.

1 small apple of pear, peeled and cored, diced

1 shallot, diced

4-5 fresh sage leaves (or 1/2 tsp. dried sage)

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. dark brown sugar, or maple syrup (optional)

4-5 cups low sodium chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

For serving: Roasted Squash Seeds (instructions below)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425 and line a backing sheet with aluminum foil. Carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds into a bowl. Do not discard the seeds.

2. Brush halved squash with olive oil and sprinkle sea salt or Rosemary and Thyme on top. Place the squash cut-side up on the baking sheet or toss the cubes on to the baking sheet and bake for approximately 60 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from the oven and let rest until cool enough to handle.

3. While the squash is roasting, clean the squash seeds in a strainer under running water, removing all of the stringy pulp and rinsing the seeds thoroughly. Shake the strainer to remove as much water as you can and set aside.

4. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the apple and shallot, and a pinch of salt, and let cook for 4-5 minutes, or until softened. Add the sage leaves and let cook for another 2 minutes. 

5. Using a spoon, scrape the meat of the squash out of its skin and into the pot. Discard the skin. Add the ginger, brown sugar or maple syrup (if using) and 4 cups of chicken stock or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. 

6. Meanwhile, reduce the oven temperature to 325f. Lightly grease the foil-covered baking sheet you used for the squash. Take the seeds and place in a bowl and sprinkle some Rosemary and Thyme on top with a little drizzle of olive oil and then spread the seeds on the pain in an even layer. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the seeds are golden brown, stirring or shaking the pan every 4-5 minutes to prevent the seeds from burning. Remove from the oven and set aside.

7. Once the soup is done simmering, puree with an immersion blender until smooth, adding more chicken stock or water as needed to reach the desired consistency. 

8. Season to taste with salt and pepper (or Rosemary and Thyme), and add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. 

9. Garnish individual soup bowls with fried sage and roasted squash seeds. Yum!

• Soup can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or stored in a freezer for up to a month.