roasted butternut squash soup

i love fall/winter and the veggies that come with the season.  it is the perfect weather for enjoying a cup of warm creamy soup.

this soup is so fall to me and super creamy but does not require any cream at all...

ingredients/supplies:
-2 medium/large butternut squash
-1 onion
-2 carrots
-2 celery stalks
-28 ounces of organic chicken or veggie stock (1 box - you may need a bit more than that but you can always add a touch of water)
-3 tablespoons of olive oil
-kosher salt and pepper to taste
-a splash of apple cider vinegar
-2 cookie sheets, 1 soup pot, a sharp chef's knife and cutting board, a blender, kitchen tongs, a spatula, a metal soup spoon, measuring spoons, and an oven

-prepping/chopping
-pre-heat oven to 420 with 2 cooking racks in the top positions
-wash the 2 squash and then cut the tip and tail off - leaving 2 flat surfaces (i only cut the tip off as my tail was very flat of both of mine)
-stand the squash on its tail and slowly press your chef's knife from the middle of the tip to the tail cutting the squash in 1/2...repeat with the 2nd squash

-with a soup spoon, scoop out seeds of all 4 pieces and discard
-place the squash on cookie sheets
-pour 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil on each piece (skin side and flesh side) and sprinkle with salt

-wash, peel,  and chop carrots, celery and onion into similarly sized pieced

cooking:
-place the 2 cookie sheets with the seasoned squash in the oven and cook for about 20 mins (or until one side is roasted), then turn the squash and roast for another 20-30 mins or until soft
-place chopped carrots, celery,  and onion in a pan over medium-low heat with a tablespoon of olive oil

-cook veggies until the onions start to turn a bit translucent

-take the skin off of the squash with kitchen tongs and add to the veggies (it comes off so easily that you could do it with a fork if you don't have tongs)

-cover the veggies with stock and bring to a simmer for about 10-15 mins to blend the flavors

-blend to your desired texture...you may need to add a bit of water or stock to get the right balance creaminess

-add salt and pepper to taste

-at the very end add a splash of apple cider vinegar and stir  

to spice it up...i served this in a little mug with a touch of creme fraiche (just for color really as the soup totally does not need any dairy at all), a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, and some chives...cayenne is super nice in the creamy, buttery, roasted soup and a bit of spice is always nice...

enjoy!!!