Butternut Squash Soup With Apple

I've made this for Christmas Eve, and I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was. I think I found it in LHJ years ago, but who knows. The squash, sweet potatoes, and apples are heavenly.

• Ready In: 2 hrs
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 3 3⁄4 lbs  butternut squash (peeled, seeded, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks)
• 1  lb sweet potato
• 1  lb granny smith apple
• 2  large onions, chopped
• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
• 3  cups chicken broth
• 2  cups water
• 2  cups half-and-half
• 2  tablespoons unsalted butter

• Garnish

• 8  slices red apples
• 8  slices green apples
• 8  slices white cheddar cheese
•  snipped chives
•  ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. In a roasting pan, mix the squash, potatoes, apples, onions, oil, 2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper.
3. Roast, stirring twice, 55 minutes or until tender.
4. In a food processor or blender, in batches, puree squash mixture, blending some broth and water into each batch.
5. Pour into Dutch oven and stir in remaining salt, broth, water, the half and half, and butter.
6. Heat over medium heat until the butter melts.
7. For the garnish, preheat the broiler and line a baking sheet with foil.
8. Place red-apple slices at least 1" apart on sheet and top each with slightly overlapping slice of green apple.
9. Top with slice of cheese (breaking in half to fit if necessary).
10. Broil 1 to 2 minutes to melt cheese and remove from oven.
11. Let stand 1 minute.
12. Ladle soup into 8 bowls, top each with apple-cheese garnish, chives, and pepper.