Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the squash, apples, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Spread the squash and apples across the baking sheet in 1 layer. Separate the sage sprigs and tuck the leaves in around the squash and apples. Roast about 1 hour, until everything is tender and begin to brown, stirring halfway through.

Meanwhile, warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, carrots, and onion and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and continue cooking and stirring for 3 minutes. Add the broth and the bouquet garni, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Remove the sage leaves from the roasted squash and apples. Add the squash and apples to the soup and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni, and using an immersion blender, puree the soup. (You can also transfer to a blender to puree, but be sure to let the soup cool a bit first so that you don’t wind up with soup on the celing.) If the soup is too thick, stir in some more broth until it is the consistency you like. 

Serve topped with pepitas and minced chives.