Description
This Butternut Squash & Hard Apple Cider Soup with Everything-Sage Croutons is a bowl of fall cozy! A little bit sweet, a little bit creamy, and a lot of comfort. The croutons are flavored with sage butter and “everything” seasoning for tons of flavor and texture – a must when it comes to creamy soup toppings!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Soup:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup fresh sage, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 (12 oz) bottle hard apple cider (see Note)
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 apple, diced (I like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith for this)
- 16 oz peeled and cubed butternut squash
- ½ cup half-and-half
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Sage-Everything Croutons:
- 5 cups cubed baguette (or other crusty bread)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon “everything” seasoning, plus extra for servings
- ¼ cup fresh sage leaves
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the Soup:
- Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat and add the oil and butter.
- Add in the onion, garlic, sage, spices, and a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the onion and garlic soften.
- Stream in the hard cider and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the hard cider is reduced by about half.
- Add in the broth, along with another bit of salt and black pepper, and then bring to a simmer. Add the squash and apple and simmer the soup over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, or until the squash is very tender and almost falling apart.
- Use an immersion blender or transfer the soup, in batches, to a regular blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Return the soup to the pot and stir in the half-and-half. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
For the Croutons:
- While the soup is simmering, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Spread the cubed bread out in an even layer on a large baking sheet.
- In a small saucepan, heat together the oil and butter over medium heat. Add in the “everything” seasoning and fresh sage leaves, cook for a few seconds, and remove from the heat.
- Pour the butter mixture over the bread cubes and toss with a spatula to evenly coat everything. Sprinkle a little bit more “everything” seasoning over top of the croutons and then transfer to the oven.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the croutons are crisp and golden.
To Serve:
Serve the soup garnished with the croutons and crispy sage leaves. I do an extra shake of the everything seasoning as well – I just love it so!
Notes
- If you want to keep this alcohol free, omit the hard cider and sub in 1 cup of apple cider and an extra ½ cup of broth OR an extra 1½ cups of broth.
- This soup freezes really well. To freeze, cool the soup completely to room temperature and then ladle into freezer-safe airtight containers. Label and freeze for up to six months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: soup
Keywords: butternut squash and hard apple cider soup, butternut squash and apple soup, butternut squash and apple soup, everything bagel croutons, everything bagel sage croutons, fall soup recipes