Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

I made the most amazing butternut squash soup tonight and I totally winged it. This was a rare occurrence it actually tasted better than I had hoped. At first I started off with this recipe but there were too many steps and ingredients so I simplified it:

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, peeled, cut in half and then cut into 1/2 inch slices
drizzle of olive oil
drizzle of balsamic vinegar
drizzle of molasses
salt
pepper

2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
dash of cinnamon
dash of cumin
dash of chili powder
32 oz. (one carton) of chicken stock
salt
pepper
heavy cream to taste

Directions:

Roast butternut squash drizzled with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and molasses and seasoned with salt and pepper in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. I like to slice the butternut squash instead of cubing it because it roasts faster.

Saute onion, celery & carrot in butter and olive oil until slightly browned. Add spices and cook for 2 minutes more. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until all vegetables have softened.

In a food processor, blend roasted butternut squash, vegetables and chicken stock until smooth. Add a touch of heavy cream if desired.



The soup came out deliciously rich and creamy with just a hint of spice. Add a hunk of bread and butter and you've got an absolutely satisfying meal for a cold and blustery fall day.

Enjoy! (Thanks Theresa, for the inspiration!)