Sweet Butternut Squash Soup

I'm a fairly new fan of butternut squash. It's not something that I grew up eating, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't have to watch a video on YouTube to figure out the best way to cut one the first time I made it! Giada has a delicious recipe for butternut squash soup. I've made it a few times and love it. This time though, I wanted to try something a little different. I thought I'd try making a sweeter version by adding apples, and topping it with crunchy toasted pecans. This is good stuff! My Hubby loved it too! It's the best feeling when a new creation comes out better than you expected it would!

Ingredients:

2 medium sized butternut squash (about 4 lbs)

1 tbsp of butter - melted

1 carrot - peeled and chopped

1 apple - peeled and chopped (I used Fuji)

1 small onion - chopped
4 cups of chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
1 cup of milk (I used almond milk because I'm dairy-free...it was delicious)

Toasted pecans for topping

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice the butternut squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, put on a baking sheet cut side facing up, spread a little butter on top, and roast for an hour. (Should look amazing like in the photo above)

2. In a large pot over medium heat sauté onions and carrots for about 2-3 minutes until the onions become translucent. Add in the apples and cook for another 5 minutes until everything softens.
3. Using a spoon - scoop the squash out of the skin and into the pot, then add the chicken broth. Add cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
4. Bring soup to a boil, lower heat to a simmer cover and cook for 20 minutes.
5. Add milk, then use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Serve the soup - top with toasted pecans (the BEST)!

Enjoy, I hope you love it!