Butternut Squash, Carrot & Apple Soup

Ingredients

1 small onion
1 large butternut squash
2 small (or 1 large) apple

2 stalks of celery
2 carrots
4 cups vegetable broth
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp curry powder (optional - I did not use)
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup milk (or substitute, ex. almond or coconut milk)

Directions

Start by roasting the squash in the oven for 45 minutes. You don't have to do this, the squash could cook in the pot, but I prefer to! Dice the onion and cook in a tiny bit of olive oil in your soup pot until soft/translucent. Next, cube up all the veggies: apples, celery and carrots – and add to pot. Add vegetable broth and the spices, stir, and bring to a boil. Once the soup comes to a boil, turn it down to a simmer and cover for about 15 minutes, until vegetables are very soft.

Use an immersion blender in the pot to puree the soup, or a regular blender (in several batches), but make sure you take the plastic knob off the top before you blend. This is key in order to release steam – otherwise you will have soup everywhere.

Finish the soup by adding the milk, and bringing the soup back up to a slight simmer to heat through.

Yum!

Recipe and photo adapted from this version: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1273526