Butternut and Carrot Soup

Yes~ I am making squash again, and this time it will be soup.  A great make ahead meal. Make a batch and eat a couple times during the week, add a sandwich or salad and dinner is done!

This is a great recipe that features a lot of spices that come together nicely plus the cheese and croutons are crunchy!

Ingredients

For the soup:

• 1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch dices
• 3-4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch dices
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg ( I use only fresh nutmeg that is hand grated for the best flavor!)
• 1/4 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 cup half and half
• 2 tablespoon maple syrup
• For the croutons:
• 1/2 baguette, thinly sliced
• extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 3 ounces Gruyère, grated

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together the squash, carrots, butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet and spread to a single layer. Roast until the squash and carrots are tender, about 40 minutes, stirring once or twice. Set aside.

In a Dutch oven over medium, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil; add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the broth, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Add in the roasted vegetables and purée the soup in batches in a blender (or do like I do and use an immersion blender). Add in the half and half and maple syrup; simmer over medium-low until soup begins to thicken. Taste for salt and pepper.

To make the croutons, preheat the broiler setting. Place the baguette slices on a large rimmed baking sheet, drizzle each piece with some olive oil and broil until slightly golden. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle over a little cheese on each slice. Return to the oven and broil until the cheese has melted. Serve immediately with the soup.

**When reheating soup, do not boil.  Just simmer gently until warm. Add a bit of cream on the top, run a skewer through and make some fun designs.

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