Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Cranberry Salsa and Savory Blue Cheese Cranberry Scones
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients Soup:
• 1 large butternut squash (about 3½ pounds)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 4-6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 2 pinches nutmeg
Salsa:
• 1½ cups fresh cranberries
• 1 Granny smith apple, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, seeded, stemmed and chopped
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
Scones:
• 2½ cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 7 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
• ¾ cup fresh cranberries
Directions
Soup & Salsa: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Halve squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Rub cut side of squash with tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a large baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes until tender. Remove from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle, then peel away skin from the flesh and discard the skin.
While squash is roasting, make the salsa. Place cranberries, apple, jalapeño and maple syrup in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot. Add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent and tender, about 5-7 minutes. Place squash flesh in the pot. Add 4 cups of vegetable broth. Using an immersion blender, puree until creamy and blended. Add more broth to get to desired consistency. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes. Stir in maple syrup and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with salsa and a drizzle of olive oil.
Scones: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using your hands, mix in coconut oil, pressing together flour mixture and oil until it’s completely incorporated and forms a sandy texture. Slowly pour in buttermilk and mix together until incorporated.
Stir in blue cheese and cranberries. Form dough into a large ball. Turn out onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet or baking stone. Press the top to flatten slightly. Using a sharp knife, cut dough in half, then cut each half into 4 triangles. Separate the scones on the baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden.
Credit: The Cranberry Marketing Committee and Rachael Wallace Hartley, RD, LD, CDE by Avocado a Day Nutrition
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
Soup:
- 1 large butternut squash (about 3½ pounds)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 4-6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2 pinches nutmeg
Salsa:
- 1½ cups fresh cranberries
- 1 Granny smith apple, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeded, stemmed and chopped
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
Scones:
- 2½ cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 7 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
- ¾ cup fresh cranberries
Directions
- Soup & Salsa: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Halve squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Rub cut side of squash with tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a large baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes until tender. Remove from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle, then peel away skin from the flesh and discard the skin.
- While squash is roasting, make the salsa. Place cranberries, apple, jalapeño and maple syrup in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot. Add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent and tender, about 5-7 minutes. Place squash flesh in the pot. Add 4 cups of vegetable broth. Using an immersion blender, puree until creamy and blended. Add more broth to get to desired consistency. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes. Stir in maple syrup and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with salsa and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Scones: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using your hands, mix in coconut oil, pressing together flour mixture and oil until it’s completely incorporated and forms a sandy texture. Slowly pour in buttermilk and mix together until incorporated.
- Stir in blue cheese and cranberries. Form dough into a large ball. Turn out onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet or baking stone. Press the top to flatten slightly. Using a sharp knife, cut dough in half, then cut each half into 4 triangles. Separate the scones on the baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden.
- Credit: The Cranberry Marketing Committee and Rachael Wallace Hartley, RD, LD, CDE by Avocado a Day Nutrition