Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Cider and Spiced Crema

My mentor and dear friend Carlo deMarco taught me how to make this velvety butternut squash soup. It is guaranteed to make your heart happy!  I have since adapted it and added a spiced crema, to add some pizazz. Feel free to top it with a sprinkle of toasted pepitas, crumbled gingersnaps or extra cracked black pepper if you like it spicy. Olinda olive oil helps all the spices stick to the sweet butternut squash. Check out my QR code below to watch my recipe reel for this soup!

8 cups of diced and peeled butternut squash, diced into about ½-inch chunks

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt, to taste

Cracked black pepper, to taste

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Pinch of ground ginger

Pinch of ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 sweet onion, finely chopped

4 cups apple cider, vegetable stock or chicken stock (I prefer ½ apple cider and ½ stock)

1 bay leaf

Preheat oven to 400F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, toss the butternut squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, until the spices and oil thoroughly coat the squash. Spread onto the baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes until they can be pierced with a fork. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the chopped onion, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the onion softens and are translucent. Add the squash. Then add the apple cider, stock or a mixture of the two. Bring to simmer. Let simmer 10 minutes on low. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Blend until smooth.

Spiced Crema

¼ cup heavy cream

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

2 teaspoons brown sugar Zest of 1/2 an orange

Pinch of nutmeg

Pinch of ginger

Pinch of cinnamon

In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream, salt and pepper until fluffy, but not whipped like whipped cream. Aim to have the consistence of melted whipped cream. Add brown sugar, orange zest, nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon.