In the Kitchen With Fay

Not only will your friends and family "oh and ah" over this delicious and healthy wintertime soup, they will revel in the cleverness and style such a first course exudes.

To really pump up the style-quotient, you need to serve the soup in low-rimmed soup bowls that sit on a plate or charger. No cereal-type bowls of soup will do at an elegant dinner party.

The garnish is very important in a soup that is all one color – anything pretty and complementary to the soup will look appetizing. A little crunch is nice, too.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 large whole butternut squash

1 large onion, peeled and sliced

2 apples, cored, peeled and sliced

drizzle of olive oil

4 cups homemade or low sodium all-natural chicken stock

2 T cream or half & half

garnish of your choice (see below)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Rinse off the outside of the butternut squash and dry it with a paper towel. Very carefully and on a large wooden cutting board, cut off the ends of the squash, then cut it into large chunks, removing the seeds. Don't peel it.

Put the squash pieces, onions and apples on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Roast for about 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until squash is soft. Let cool. Using a small sharp knife, remove the skin from the squash.

Transfer the squash mixture to a large stockpot. Using a food processor or hand-held blender, process the squash, onions and apples until smooth. Add about 2 cups of the chicken stock. Heat slowly. Keep adding chicken stock until you reach your desired soup consistency. You may not need all of the stock depending upon the size of the squash. When the soup is hot, stir in the cream.

Serve with a garnish of your choice: diced pimento, chopped nuts, croutons, chiffonade of spinach, fresh herbs – anything colorful that will complement the flavor of the soup.