Shallot, Chive & Meyer Lemon Biscuits with My Go-To Butternut Squash & Apple Soup for FFWD

These simple Saint-Germain-des-Près Onion Biscuits from Around My French Table received a bonne idée from me this week.  I substituted the original recipe's 1/2 cup of finely chopped onion for 2 small finely chopped shallots and about 1/4 cup minced fresh chives.  With a surplus of Meyer lemons in my produce bin I'm always looking for ways to use them up!  So, I added 1 tablespoon of grated Meyer lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of fresh squeezed juice to the 3/4 cup of cold whole milk.  The Meyer lemon flavor was pronounced in the biscuits and I was also happy with my onion switch to the milder shallots and chives.  For my taste I felt the biscuits could have used more salt, at least another 1/4 teaspoon, if not more.  Here is a link to Dorie's original recipe.  I also want to note that using a standard biscuit cutter the recipe yielded about 2 dozen biscuits.

My Go-To Butternut Squash and Apple Soup is simple to make for a light lunch or as a first course for dinner. I probably make this soup at least once a week when I find butternut squash at the market.  I love the combination of apple and butternut pureed in a soup so I would say that this is a true comfort food for me.  The recipe is simple, flavorful, nutritious and very low in fat, not a bad one to be a standard in my kitchen.


Ingredients and Directions for My Go-To Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

3 cups cubed butternut squash
1&1/2 cups chopped apple
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 smashed clove of garlic
2 teaspoons extras virgin olive oil
4 cups water or stock (veggie or chicken)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Finely minced chives, garnish for the top

In a heavy soup pan, like a dutch oven, heat the olive oil and add the onion.  Cook the onion, stirring occasionally until soft, add the garlic, cook for a few minutes.  Add the butternut squash and apple, cover with the liquid of your choice and simmer until tender.  Add liquid to barely cover the squash and apple mixture, plus more if needed as it cooks down.  Simmer on low heat until all the ingredients are soft, take off the heat and purée, leaving a few small chunks.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve in small bowls or cups with minced chives on top.  This soup goes very well with the biscuits.
Serves 4-6