Butternut Squash Soup with Apple, Pear & Leeks

There are certain recipes that just smell like fall, and this is one of them.

For our Fall Series, I invited my friend Christine from Cornerstone in Wayne, Pennsylvania, to Hillside Farm to share one of the restaurant's seasonal favorites: a beautiful butternut squash soup with apples, pears, leeks, and thyme.

Christine and her husband have owned Cornerstone for 11 years, and this is one of those dishes that comes back year after year. It's a recipe she's been making for so long that she says she could practically make it in her sleep. 4. Butternut squash soup

And despite how impressive it tastes, it's incredibly simple.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 containers pre-cut butternut squash

• Pears, peeled and chopped

• Honeycrisp apples, chopped

• Fresh thyme

• Olive oil

• Leeks, sliced

• Butter

• Salt, to taste

• Approximately 2 cups bone broth or stock, plus more as needed

• Toasted pumpkin seeds, for serving

Step 1: Roast the butternut squash, chopped pears, Honeycrisp apples, fresh thyme, and olive oil until everything is tender.

Step 2: Clean your leeks thoroughly. Dirt can hide between the layers, so separate and rinse them well.

Step 3: Slice the leeks into coins or roughly chop them.

Step 4: Melt butter in a pan and cook the leeks until they're soft. Season with salt.

Step 5: Toast your pumpkin seeds separately and reserve them for garnish.

Step 6: Once your roasted ingredients have cooled appropriately for safe blending, combine the squash, apples, pears, and cooked leeks in a blender.

Step 7: Begin adding bone broth or stock and blend slowly. Christine uses approximately two cups, but you can add more or less depending on how thick you like your soup.

Step 8: Pour into bowls and finish with toasted pumpkin seeds.

You can also add a drizzle of flavored oil, crème fraîche, or a little cream if you'd like.