Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Well, I think the cold is here to stay and my only defense is an awesome bowl of soup. I used to order it all the time at this cafe called Zanzibar in San Diego all year long. It was really good, but I always used to wonder how it would taste if they roasted the squash first.

I topped it with some sesame sticks, but you can top it with whatever crunchy, carbalicious thing you might have handy. Also, to make the recipe vegan, just swap the chicken broth for veggie broth and omit the heavy cream.

It's as easy as chopping up some veggies

and roasting up some squash

Seriously. I'm never paying for butternut squash soup again. You shouldn't either. Make it better at home. My grandma would be proud of you.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

2 squash

1 large or 2 small leeks, thinly sliced until you hit the dark green part

2-3 carrots, diced

1 onion, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 8 oz carton heavy cream

6 cups chicken stock (i'm currently obsessed with "better than bouillon")

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 

3 tablespoons molasses (brown sugar works too)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (you could also use nutmeg, cinnamon, or some combination)

Olive oil, salt, pepper

Whisk together balsamic, molasses, and olive oil. Slice the squash in half, scoop the seeds out, and rub the mixture all over the inside. Sprinkle with salt and pepper as well.

Roast, sliced side up, at 400 degrees until its super soft and the edges start to blacken. This could take anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour.

Meanwhile, saute the carrots, leeks, garlic and onion in olive oil until tender (about 7 minutes).

Once the veggies are tender, add stock and simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.

After the squash is roasted and you've let it cool for a bit, scoop out the insides with a metal spoon and drop them right into the pot of stock. Make sure to get all the burnt bits and the balsamic/molasses liquid that's left behind!

Working in batches in your blender or food processor, puree the stock and squash mixture until smooth.

Return the whole thing to low heat and once it begins to boil, stir in the heavy cream. Simmer for another few minutes, adjust seasonings (you can add some more pumpkin pie spice here), and serve topped with your favorite crunchy bits!