Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

I don't know if you are aware of this but Punxsutawney Phil the famous Groundhog out in Pennsylvania didn't see his shadow on Saturday morning meaning that Spring should be just around the corner!! Unfortunately, it has not stared getting any warmer here in NJ. It is nice and cold today with a chance of snow for tonight so to me that means it's a great time to enjoy a nice big bowl of soup for lunch or dinner. This Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup is decently healthy yet still creamy and has a kick of flavor from the curry powder.

Ingredients:

1 Large Butternut Squash (about 2 cups) - Peeled and Diced

1 Cup Mini Carrots - Diced

9 Whole Cloves of Garlic

5 Tbsp Olive Oil

8 Cups of Vegetable Broth

1 Large Yellow Onion - Diced

1 Tbsp Curry Powder

1/4 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

S&P

Toppings:

Low Fat Sour Cream

Whole Wheat Croutons

Adapted from: http://www.portuguesegirlcooks.com/

Start by prepping your vegetables: peel and dice your squash, dice up your carrots and peel your garlic. Preheat the oven to 400 F. On a large baking sheet arrange the butternut squash, carrots and garlic in one layer. 

Drizzle with 2 Tbsp of olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Bake for 45 - 60 minutes until soft and browned. Take the pan out of the oven and set aside.

In a large pot over medium heat pour in 1 Tbsp of olive oil, when it's hot add the onion and cook 5-7 minutes until they have softened and are translucent. Add the roasted vegetables to the pot and mix to combine everything together. Toss in the curry powder and cayenne pepper to coat the vegetables. Let it cook till fragrant about another minute or two, give it a good stir then pour in all of the vegetable broth.

Simmer the soup for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you would like to top your soup with the whole wheat croutons you can make them now. I simply cut up 2 pieces of bread into cubes, placed them on a baking sheet, drizzled them with the remaining olive oil and toasted them in the oven for about 5 minutes.

When the soup has finished, use an immersion blender to puree it or pour it into a blender until all the vegetables are gone and it is completely smooth. I wanted the soup to be a little creamy so I topped our bowls with a large dollop of sour cream and mixed it in slowly as I ate the soup along with the croutons. 

Enjoy!! - Nicole

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