1 (2½- to 3-pound)
butternut squash, peeled, cut into 1½ inch cubes (about 6 to 8 cups)
1
yellow onion, quartered and layers separated
2
sweet apples, such as Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp, cored and sliced
8
garlic cloves
3
sprigs fresh thyme, plus a few leaves for serving
¼ cup
extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons
kosher salt
½ teaspoon
freshly cracked black pepper, plus more for serving
2 cups
vegetable or chicken stock
½ cup
heavy cream, plus more for serving
¼ teaspoon
ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon
cayenne pepper
Pepitas, for serving (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center position.
On a rimmed sheet pan, combine the squash, onion, apples, garlic and thyme. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with 1 teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper. Toss to coat.
Roast until the squash is fork-tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, in the last 5 minutes of roasting, bring the stock to a boil in a small saucepan, then reduce to a simmer and keep warm.
Remove the sheet pan from the oven. Discard the thyme stems, leaving the leaves on the pan. Transfer all the roasted vegetables to a high-speed blender. Add the hot stock, cream, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, the remaining ¼ teaspoon black pepper, the nutmeg, and cayenne. Let cool briefly. Secure the lid, keeping the lid plug slightly vented.
Turn the blender on and slowly increase to the highest speed. Blend until smooth. 5 to 6 minutes.
Pour into bowls and serve topped with a drizzle of cream, thyme leaves, pepper and pepitas, if using.