Roasted Butternut Squash, Carrot, and Ginger Soup

Sorry for the leave of absence!  I might have over committed myself a little last year.  Might meaning definitely!  Armed with a new camera and not one lesson, I am going to give picture taking a shot!  Bare with me. 

I cannot begin to tell you how much I love this soup.  Hearty, flavorful, healthy- a winning combo for me.  I made it three times the first week I tried it!  If you are more of a "fewer steps" kind of cook, you could skip the roasting process, though I do believe that the caramelized vegetables add an element of flavor that you don't want to miss!  I hit it heavy with ginger and nutmeg for little extra heat and was glad that I did!  Enjoy!   

Roasted Butternut Squash, Carrot, and Ginger Soup

Serves 4-6

Recipe adapted from http://withstyle.me/

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash (I usually buy the pre-cut containers and use about half)

1 lb carrots, peeled

1 yellow onion, finely diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Garnish- spicy pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To prepare baking sheet, cover with foil and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil; set aside.

Peel and cut the butternut squash and carrots into a 1 inch dice and place on prepared baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper.  Roast the vegetables at 375 for 35-45 minutes.

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add ginger and garlic and cook for one minute. Add squash, carrots, chicken broth, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high, bringing to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer, uncovered for about 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender, food processor or blender and season with more salt and pepper if needed.