Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Autumn is by far my favorite time of year! The vibrant colors of the trees, the cool crisp air, the fresh smells, and of course the flavors. Anyone who knows me, knows that by mid August, I am getting excited about the thought of the temperatures dropping, (yes I do realize I am a bit crazy), hay stacks and pumpkins showing up on people’s front door steps, and all of the fresh fall produce one could hope for. One of my favorites happens to be butternut squash because there is so much you can do with it, roasting it, mashing it, and my personal favorite, making soup with it. It has the perfect amount of sweetness, and a pinch of cayenne gives the finish the right amount of spice. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

2 medium Butternut Squash’s

1 large Yellow Onion

6 cloves Garlic peeled

4 cups Chicken Stock

1 bunch leeks (white parts only, washed and drained)

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

1 tablespoon Butter

2 Tablespoon Fat Free Sour Cream

Salt & Pepper to Taste

1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (more if you like it spicy)

Fresh Croutons (because who doesn’t love croutons on soup)

Fresh herbs (I used Tarragon because it was in the fridge, but sage and time would work well)

Peel and chop Squash and onion into 1 inch pieces. Combine with garlic, toss with about 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper, and place on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven at

450 degrees for 30 minutes.

When squash is done, sauté leeks in butter for about 3 minutes, add squash, onion and garlic and sauté another 3 minutes. Add about half of the stock and bring to a light simmer. Turn off the heat and use a hand blender (or in batches, place in a blender and blend until smooth). Stir in remaining stock (less if you want it very thick) and turn the heat on low. Add cayenne, sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste.

Croutons

4 slices good bread (I used roasted garlic sour dough, but anything you have laying around will do) chopped into about 1 inch pieced

1 Tablespoon Olive oil

Chop bread into 1 inch cubes, place on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 7-10 minutes, or until bread starts to brown. Take out and allow to cool. Top soup with croutons.