Roasted Butternut Squash & Carrot Soup

Another butternut squash soup to add to your cooking repertoire! Roasting the vegetables before pureeing gives this soup the most delicious, smokey flavor! The spiced almonds gave it a little kick, too! It was the perfect soup to serve on a snowy night in October! Yes, I said SNOW in October! Try this soup on a good and chilly evening - it’ll warm you right up!

Soup:
6 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled and whole
4 to 6 c. butternut squash, peeled and cubed (I buy this pre-cut & cubed at the grocery store- saves me a world of time!)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper
1/4 c. brown sugar
6 c. vegetable broth
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 c. to 1 c. milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
3 Tbl heavy cream (optional but yummy!)

Spiced Almonds:
1 Tbl butter, melted
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/3 c. sliced or slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 375F

Line a roasting pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Place carrots, onions, garlic cloves and butternut squash on the pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Sprinkle carrots & butternut squash with brown sugar.


Roast vegetables for 45 minutes or until squash flesh is soft. Remove vegetables from oven and place in a large soup pot. Add broth, thyme and cinnamon, if using. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let soup cool for 20 minutes.

Remove center piece from the top of the blender lid (to let heat escape) and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Blend soup in batches until completely smooth. Return all soup to the pot. Add milk and cream, if using. Stir well and heat to desired temperature. Divide soup between bowls. Sprinkle with Spiced Almonds. Serve with a side salad and crusty bread. Enjoy!

Spiced Almonds:

Preheat oven to 350F

In a small bowl combine 1 Tbl melted butter, salt and cayenne pepper. Add almonds. Toss to combine. Spread evenly on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake for 5-8 minutes or until toasted. Watch closely so they do not burn. Cool completely.