Butternut squash soup with sage

Ingredients:

• 1  tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1  butternut squash (about 2- to 2 1/2-pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
• 2  medium Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced (about 2 cups)
• 1  large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1  teaspoon ground coriander
• 3  cups Swanson® Chicken Broth (Regular, Natural Goodness® or Certified Organic)
• Pepperidge Farm® Golden Butter Distinctive Crackers (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a 6-quart saucepot over medium heat. Add the squash, apples and onion and cook until they’re almost tender. Stir in the coriander. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
2. Stir the broth in the saucepot. Heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes or until the squash is tender.
3. Place half of the squash mixture, with a slotted spoon, into a blender or food processor, reserving the cooking liquid. Cover and blend until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl. Repeat the blending process with the remaining squash mixture. Pour the reserved cooking liquid into a liquid cup measure. Return all of the puréed mixture to the saucepot. Add the reserved additional cooking liquid until soup is the desired consistency. Serve the soup with the crackers, if desired.

Tip: For a special garnish, fry 12 fresh sage leaves in 1 tablespoon of butter in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat until they’re crisp. Remove the leaves from the skillet and drain them on paper towels. Drizzle each serving of soup with some sage butter and top with 3 fried sage leaves.

Yield: 4 servings (2 cups each)

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 25 minutes

Courtesy of Family Features