Butternut Squash Soup with Fontina Cheese Crostini

I hope you had a wonderful weekend. We swam and tried to relax a little which was really nice. Nevermind that it's almost 100 degrees outside and I'm inside making soup like a crazy lady! I love soups and trying to channel in the cooler Fall weather doesn't hurt either. I really really REALLY love this soup!! The color is amazing and it doesn't use a lot of ingredients either. Everyone that I gave a taste test said it's a keeper so this will be on my Fall menu for sure.

Butternut Squash Soup with Fontina Cheese Crostini
(Adapted from Giada at Home)
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Soup:

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 7 to 8 cups)
6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In an 8-quart stockpot, add the butter and oil and melt together over medium-high heat.

Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds.

Add the squash and the chicken stock.

Bring the mixture to a boil and add the sage. (I didn't have any fresh sage so I used dried.)

Continue to boil until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. (Don't use the plug on the blender it's a hot mixture and it needs air! Instead use a papertowel over the hole to keep it from splashing.)

Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat. Cook's Note: The cooked vegetable mixture can also be pureed (after cooling for about 5 minutes) by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.

Here's how much soup the recipe makes:

Crostini:
1/2 baguette, sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
1 cup (2 ounces) grated fontina cheese
Kosher salt

For the crostini: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sage. Sprinkle the cheese on top and season with salt, to taste. Bake until the cheese has melted and the bread is light golden, about 6 to 8 minutes. (I didn't have fresh sage so I left it out.)

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the cheese crostini.