Roasted Winter Squash Soup

Photo: Roasted Winter Squash Soup
As seen on KHON's Living808!
Yield
5 - 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 3 pounds winter squash such as butternut, kabocha or acorn
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4½ cups vegetable broth
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • Dash of cayenne
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with foil.
  2. Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds.
  3. Lightly drizzle squash with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  4. Place squash face down on baking sheet. Bake 35-40 minutes or until squash is soft. Remove from oven and let cool enough to touch.
  5. Scoop out squash flesh into a bowl. Discard skins. Mash squash with a potato masher. Set aside.
  6. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender.
  7. Add broth, squash, ginger, basil and thyme. Mix well.
  8. Bring soup to a boil, then remove from heat.
  9. Working in small batches, ladle some of the soup mixture into a blender (fill about halfway) and blend until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and repeat with remaining soup.
  10. Once all soup has been blended, return to pot. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Enjoy!