Roasted Squash Soup

This delicious, velvety smooth soup is perfect on a rainy, gloomy day. With a sweet zing and bright color, this dish will find itself on any formal party.

Squash soup is made by pureeing roasted squash and adding stock or water to thin out the soup. My recipe has a perfect ratio, resulting in a silky smooth puree. Since the flesh of a squash or pumpkin is already so creamy, no cream needs to be added to thicken and smoothen the soup. This results in a bolder, less-diluted flavor.

Recipe:

2 butternut squash halved and seeds scraped out

4 cloves minced garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

I large sweet onion finely chopped

1 leek sliced

1 cup vegetable broth/stock

Juice of one whole lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Red pepper flakes (optional)

Drizzle of cream (optional)

1 tbsp butter

1. Start by roasting the butternut squash - Cut them in half and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Place skin side down (flesh side up) on a wire tray. Roast in a 400ºF preheated oven for 45 minutes.

2. While squash is roasting, sauté leeks, garlic, and onion in butter until soft and fragrant.

3. Remove from oven add immediately add into high powered blender (I use a vitamix) along with the leek, garlic, and onion.

4. Blend until smooth or use the hot soups setting on a vitamix. While blending, stream in the olive oil and vegetable stock. This will help the oil emulsify into the soup, which will prevent separation.

5. Lastly, add the juice of one whole lemon, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Optionally garnish with red pepper flakes and a drizzle of cream.

6. Serve warm or cold.

7. Enjoy!