Butternut Squash Apple Soup

2 tablespoons (¼ stick) butter
1 large onion, chopped
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4¼ pounds butternut squash, peeled,
seeded, & cut into chunks
4¼ cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 Macintosh, Gala, or Granny Smith apples,
peeled, cored, diced
1 cup LaBelle Winery Granite State Apple Wine
Dash Cayenne Pepper
Optional: Sour cream
Carmelized Apple Slices for Garnish

Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, cinnamon & nutmeg; sauté until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add squash, broth, apples & LaBelle Winery Granite State Apple Wine. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered until squash and apples are tender, about 30 minutes. Add dash of cayenne. Puree with a hand blender in the pot or working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bring soup to simmer, thinning with more broth or wine, if desired. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with sour cream and carmelized apples. (To make these, put thin slices of apples in a saute with brown sugar and a pat of butter and cook until carmelized, maybe 10 minutes.) Makes 8 servings.

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