Apple Butternut Squash Soup

1 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into pieces Medium to large in size—or about 2 lbs
3 red apples, peeled, cored & diced I like Honeycrisp
2 tsp salt I use Himalayan Pink Salt
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper Reduce or omit if sensitive to spice
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 litre vegetable stock
1 jalapeno, sliced for garnish (optional)
1/2 cup popcorn, for garnish (optional)

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes.
Add squash, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes.

Add apples, salt, cumin, coriander, ginger, cayenne, black pepper and stock.
Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes.

Puree in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth. Thin with water if necessary.
To serve, ladle into shallow bowls; garnish with diced jalapeno slices and / or popcorn if desired.

The soup can be made ahead of time and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to a month.

Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Reheat gently before serving (thaw frozen soup overnight in the refrigerator).