Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

​It’s fall. Which means Sweater Weather (sweata weatha!). And also….Cozy Soup Season.
 
This roasted butternut squash soup looked great on IG (from drveganblog.com) so my husband sent it to me to add to our recipe queue for the Delaney Test Kitchen. And it delivered as expected: fall comfort food at its cozy best.
 
This recipe only takes 10 minutes of prep, and the oven does the rest of the work. This is perfect with a grilled cheese sandwich on some awesome sourdough bread. Maybe even my favorite pesto grilled cheese sandwich? Sounds perfect.
 
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
INGREDIENTS:
·       1 small to medium-sized Butternut Squash
·       7 fl oz Coconut Milk
·       1-2 Red Onions
·       2 Carrots
·       1-2 Bell Peppers
·       1-2 heads of Garlic
·       2 Tomatoes or 1 cup of Cherry Tomatoes
·       1 1/2 cups Vegetable Broth
·       1 tsp Fresh Ginger optional; grated
·       Olive Oil enough to drizzle over vegetables
·       Fresh Cilantro for garnish
Seasonings:
·       1 tsp Black Pepper
·       1 tsp Ground Cumin
·       1 tsp Paprika
·       1 tsp Dried Thyme
·       1 tsp Dried Rosemary
·       1 tsp Chili Oil
 
PREPARATION:
Step1:
Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 390°F (200°C).
 
Step 2:
Prepare the Vegetables: You can either peel and chop the butternut squash, or, like I do in the video, simply cut the squash in half for roasting. Note: Halving the squash will require a longer roasting time, while chopping the vegetables smaller will speed up the cooking process.
 
Step 3:
Season the Vegetables: Add the seasonings (pepper, cumin, paprika, thyme, rosemary, and chili flakes) to the vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat evenly. If halving the squash, drizzle olive oil on the exposed flesh. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
 
Step 4:
Roasting: Roast for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the vegetables are golden and soft inside. If you've chopped the vegetables smaller, the roasting time can be reduced. If you've halved the butternut squash, expect a longer roasting time. For the last 10 minutes, remove the aluminum foil to allow the vegetables to caramelize slightly.
 
Step 5:
Blending: Once roasted, scoop out the flesh of the butternut squash (if halved) and transfer all the vegetables to a blender. Add the vegetable broth and ginger (if using), and blend until smooth and creamy.
 
Step 6:
Cooking the Soup: Pour the blended mixture into a pot and place it on medium heat. Stir in the coconut milk and cook for about 2 minutes, allowing everything to warm through.
 
Step 7:
Final Touch: Adjust the seasonings to your taste. Garnish with fresh cilantro, a drizzle of coconut milk, and a pinch of chili flakes or some chili oil if desired.
 

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