Fall is in full swing here in New England. The leaves are changing glorious colors and the air is getting cooler and crisp. I spent part of my afternoon raking leaves while the kids played with their cousins. After to coming inside from the cold all I could think about was making a homemade soup. I had already made my favorites this month; Kale Soup, Chicken Soup, and Venus De Milo Soup. I wanted something different and decided I would give squash soup a try. I love ordering it out, but I’ve never made it at home. I looked at over a dozen recipes and decided to come up with my own, taking bits of each I read through. Well I must say, it was delicious and mother-in-law approved.

Ingredients:

2.5 – 3 lbs butternut squash

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Thyme

2 tbsp butter

1 finely chopped shallot

1 tsp minced garlic

1 cup canned pumpkin

½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp salt

4 cups vegetable stock

• Preheat the oven to 425°F and chop the butternut squash (or buy it already cut). Coat them in olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme and roast for 45 minutes.
• When the squash is done roasting, get a large sauce pan and put on medium heat. Start melting the butter, then add the garlic and shallot and cook till fragrant.
• Add in pumpkin, ginger, salt, and pepper. If you like heat, substitute the ginger for cayenne pepper.
• Stir in roasted butternut squash.
• Add in the vegetable stock and bring to a low boil. Stir occasionally and break up the squash.
• Take off heat and blend with an emersion blender. If you don’t have one, put batches in a regular blender. Blend until smooth.

ENJOY!!