Squash Soup: Zingy Chipotle Roasted Squash Soup

Zingy Chipotle Roasted Squash Soup

Modified from http://www.chow.com/recipes/30466-roasted-butternut-squash-soup to have a bit more zing & spiced flavor!

Prepare Squash

2 squash: we used a butternut and an acorn squash yielding approximately 4.5 cups, halved lengthwise and seeds removed.

(Save seeds: Wash, crack sea salt, and roast to use as a garnish or to snack on!)

1 teaspoon butter for each half and rub on each half, cut-side up, and place any remaining butter in the cup area of squash. On each half: season with cracks of sea salt, green pepper, and dashes of true lime or a bit of lime juice.

Bake in oven at 400ºF until very tender. Check after 30-40 min. with fork. Time will vary depending on squash being used.

Prepare Ingredients & Spice

1 large onion diced and sauté to caramelize with spicy red pepper olive oil in the same pan to cook with later. Add apples and pear below when onions are almost done.

2 apples (Fuji or Granny Smith), peeled and cored, tangy is better. Add to onions to soften, stirring often.

1 pear, pealed and cored, dice. Add to onions to soften, stirring often

Add vegetable stock, 2.5 cups with 2.5 cups of water

Once squash is cooked, let cool and scoop out squash.  Add squash to the onions and other ingredients.

1/3 cup heavy cream: Add to the soup mixture in large pot. Mix with immersion blender or blender until the desired smoothness.

Additional spices added (check flavor)

1 t ground thyme

1 t ground coriander

1 t smoked ground paprika

1 pinch of ground sage

2-4 dashes of cayenne

2 dashes chipotle flakes

Generous cracks of green pepper and dashes of True Lime as you like. May add crack of sea salt if needed.

Prepare Garnish

1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish (optional)

or

1/2 cup pecans, broken by hand, and toasted in oven at 300ºF for about 5 min. Turn and check often until roasted evenly.

Serve soup with roasted nut garnish and bread or crackers of choice.