Butternut Squash Soup

prep time:: 30 min
total time:: 90 min

Makes 10 cups (4-6 servings)

This vegan soup from Moosewood has so much flavor you will wonder why anyone ever adds cream. Simple, easy, and packed with flavor. Add brown rice the next day for an easy and healthy “risotto.”

ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
2 or 3 small butternut squash (3lbs)*
6 unpeeled garlic cloves
2 large onions, peeled and quartered
1/4 cup water
3 cups vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
ground black pepper to taste
the beauty of this soup is you don’t need to be precise. I usually just use one large butternut squash.

directions

1
Preheat the over to 400. Brush the bottom of a large baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of oil.
2
Cut the squash through the stem ends into halves, prick the skin in several places with a knife, and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Brush the cut surfaces with a tblsp of oil. Nest the garlic inside the squash cavities and place squash halves in the pan cut side down. Add the onions to the pan and brush with remaining olive oil.
3
Pour water into the bottom of the pan, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 50 min. Uncover and bake for 5-10 minutes more until squash is tender and onions are soft. When squash is cool, scoop out the flesh. Squeeze garlic cloves out of their skins and discard the skins.
4
In batches in a blender, combine the baked veggies, stock, thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper and puree until smooth. Pour the soup in a pot and heat gently.

Source: Carey