Fall Favorites Soup

I've been sharing about some of our favorite aspects of the autumn season lately, so I thought I'd post my soup recipe. I look forward all year to making this, and I was finally able to make it for the first time this year about a week or so ago! Yum.

Fall Favorites Soup
1/2 cup chopped Onion
1 Tbl. Butter
3 small Yukon Gold Potatoes, diced
2 cups Squash Soup or Pureed Squash (Butternut is good)
1 Apple, finely minced
1 cup Chicken Broth and/or Apple Cider (may need to add extra, depending on desired consistency of soup)
1 cup grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/2 tsp. dried Thyme
1/2 tsp. dried Sage
1/2 tsp. Paprika (plus more for garnish)
Dash (or two) of Cayenne
Salt & Pepper to taste
Plain Yogurt or Sour Cream to garnish, optional
Additional Apple Slices to garnish, optional

Saute onion in butter in a large pot until tender. Stir in broth/cider, potatoes, squash puree, apple, and seasonings. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes until potatoes are done. Gradually add grated cheese, stirring until melted. Adjust seasonings as needed. (If you desire a sweeter soup, you can add a drizzle of maple syrup.) Garnish with a dollop of yogurt , a couple apple slices, and an additional sprinkle of paprika per bowl, if desired.

Variation: Diced Chicken-Apple Sausage (nitrate-free) is also a fun addition to this soup!