Butternut Squash and Apple Soup With Cider Cream

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 cups peeled seeded cubed butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only
• 12 cup coarsely chopped carrot
• 12 cup coarsely chopped celery
• 2 small granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (plus an extra apple for garnish)
• 1 12 teaspoons dried thyme
• 12 teaspoon crumbled dried sage
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1 12 cups apple cider, divided
• kosher salt
• 23 cup sour cream
• 5 bacon, slices sauteed until crisp, drained, and crumbled

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over med-high heat; when hot, add in the squash, leeks, carrots, and celery; saute/stir until vegetables have softened slightly, 10-12 minutes.
2. Add in apples, thyme, and sage; add in stock and 1 cup cider.
3. Bring mixture to a simmer; decrease heat, cover, and simmer gently until vegetables and apples are tender, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
5. Meanwhile, make the cider cream--boil the remaining 1/2 cup cider in a small saucepan until it reduces to 1/4 cup, for about 5 minutes.
6. Cool, then place sour cream in a bowl and whisk in reduced cider (cider cream can be prepared 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate until ready to use).
7. Puree the soup in batches in a food processor, blender, or food mill and return soup to the pot (can use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot).
8. Taste soup and season with salt, as needed (soup can be prepared 1 day ahead, cool, cover, and refrigerate; reheat over medium heat).
9. For the garnish--halve and core the reserved apple, then cut one half into paper-thin slices (eat or save the remaining half for another use).
10. To serve--ladle soup into 6 shallow bowls and drizzle with cider cream; garnish each serving with crumbled bacon and a couple of apple slices.

unsalted butter, butternut squash, leeks, carrot, celery, granny smith apples, thyme, sage, chicken stock, apple cider, kosher salt, sour cream, bacon

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/butternut-squash-and-apple-soup-with-cider-cream-401702 (may not work)