Caramelized Butternut Squash Soup

Yum If velvet had a taste, this would be it. This full-bodied soup hits you with flavor and then melts on your tongue. I know I’m waxing poetic here, but this soup is really that good and I’m not typically a creamy soup kind of woman. Caramelizing the squash, onions and carrots in the oven before making this soup give it an incredible depth of flavor and really highlights the sweetness of the vegetables. To balance the sweetness, I added the bite of ginger and/or black pepper (I used both) plus salt and sage. The addition of ginger and nutmeg give warmth and a bit of mild heat to this rich, velvety soup.

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces (about 4 ½ to 5 cups of chunked flesh)

2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium onion, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 cups water

1 vegetable bouillon cube

1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

1 teaspoon sage

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon dried thyme

Freshly grated nutmeg and/or black pepper to taste

¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (optional, but it makes everything blend together better)

½ cup fat free half and half (or coconut milk)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the diced butternut squash on one sheet and the onions and carrots on the other. Drizzle the olive oil and 2 teaspoons kosher salt over all the veggies and toss, trying to lay everything in a single layer.

Put both baking sheets in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Stir and place back in the oven for another 30 minutes (if the onions and carrots are turning dark, don’t put them back in for the last 30 minutes).

Place all the roasted veggies in a Dutch oven or large pot and add the water, bouillon cube, salt, sage, ginger, thyme, nutmeg/black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30 minutes.

Add in the xanthan gum and half and half, then either puree in batches in a blender (center out, but covered with a towel) or use an immersion blend to thoroughly combine the soup.

Ladle into bowls and serve hot.