Curried Butternut Squash and Apple Bisque

1 . Stage

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2 . Stage

Place squash onto a baking sheet cut-side down.

3 . Stage

Bake squash in preheated oven until the skin loosens from the flesh, about 40 minutes.

4 . Stage

Heat olive oil in a 5-quart stockpot over medium-high heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic in hot oil until the onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add vegetable stock, curry sauce, and apples to the stockpot; bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low.

5 . Stage

Cut squash into 1-inch cubes; add to the stockpot. Bring the mixture again to a simmer, place a cover on the pot, and cook, stirring once every 15 minutes, until the squash is tender and breaks apart easily when stirred, about 2 hours.

6 . Stage

Remove pot from heat and blend soup with an immersion blender until completely pureed. Pour coconut cream into the soup; continue blending until creamy. Top each serving with toasted pine nuts and a couple of leaves of cilantro.