Wintery Butternut Squash Soup

This soup is absolutely PERFECT during the wintery/cold days. Add some delicious croutons, some crème fraiche, or top with some toasted pumpkin seeds to make this dish pop! This dish is like magic, you immediately get the sweetness from the sugar and cinnamon, and then it transforms into the savory dish with the garlic, salt, and pepper coming through at the end. Grab a blanket and a bowl of this soup and prepare for a warm and toasty night in!

Servings: 6
Serving size: 12 ounces
Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients for the butternut squash soup

• 1 medium butternut squash (about 6 cups of squash)
• 2 cups of chopped carrots
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions for the butternut squash soup

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spread out squash chunks and carrots. Cook about 30 minutes or until squash and carrots are tender.
2. In large stock pot, sauté minced garlic in a little bit of olive oil for 2 minutes on medium heat.
3. Add celery and onion; cook until tender.
4. Add squash and carrots into the pot.
5. Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
6. With an hand blender, puree mixture until smooth.
7. Add heavy cream and return to a simmer, stirring often
8. Add brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, pepper, and mix
9. Adjust seasoning to your desired flavor

NOTE: I prefer my soup to be a little sweeter, but you can adjust your seasoning to be more savory by adding more salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, etc.