A Butternut Squash and Apple Soup for Squash Season's Opening Weeks

Butternut squash soup reappears every autumn without fail, but the timing of this year's recipe refreshes says something about exactly when the season turned. A butternut squash soup recipe updated on 11 September rebuilt the dish around "sweet apples, garlic and thyme," folding fruit into the traditional squash-and-stock base to round out the flavour, and promised the whole thing in under an hour with minimal hands-on time. Eleven days later, a 22 September vegan variation pushed the same squash in a different direction entirely, swirling coconut milk, ginger, maple syrup and lime juice through a bisque finished with a splash of white wine, evidence that the same base vegetable was being reworked across very different kitchens in the same fortnight.

Why apple belongs in this pot

Butternut squash is already sweet, but on its own the sweetness can sit a little flat, especially once it is blended into a smooth puree. A tart, firm apple, cooked down alongside the squash rather than added raw at the end, brings a layer of acidity and a slightly different kind of sweetness that keeps the soup from tasting one-note, the same principle behind adding a spoonful of vinegar to a rich stew. It also means the soup uses two ingredients hitting their peak in the same few weeks rather than reaching for one out of season.

Ingredients, for six servings

• 1.3kg butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 3lb)
• 2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 litre vegetable or chicken stock (4 cups)
• 120ml single cream or full-fat coconut milk, plus extra to serve (1/2 cup)
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra to serve
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Toasted pumpkin seeds, to serve

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute, until fragrant.