Butternut Squash Roasted Soup w/Honey Pecan Butter

By pattie_d

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic, not peeled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 butternut squash, about 2? 3/4 pounds
• 1 small to medium sweet yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced about 3/4 -inch thick
• 4 to 6 sage leaves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper, plus additional pepper to taste, divided
• 1 (32-ounce) carton vegetable stock
• 1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from aarp.org

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 10- by 15-inch jelly roll pan with aluminum foil.

Place the unpeeled garlic cloves on a 6-inch square of aluminum foil. Drizzle about 1/2 teaspoon olive oil over garlic; bring aluminum foil up over garlic to make a packet. Set on edge of aluminum foil-covered pan.

Using a large, heavy knife, cut off ends of squash. Peel using a vegetable peeler. Cut squash in half, remove and discard seeds. Cut squash into 1 to 1? 1/2 -inch cubes. Place squash in a mixing bowl. Add onion and carrots. Drizzle vegetables with remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and sage leaves; toss to coat vegetables evenly. Spread in a single layer on prepared pan.

Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes; stir squash and carrot mixture, then continue roasting 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are very tender and golden brown. (There is no need to stir the garlic.)

Allow roasted vegetables to cool slightly. Spoon roasted vegetables into blender or work bowl of food processor. Carefully open garlic packet, allowing steam to escape. When cool enough to handle, gently squeeze roasted garlic out of skin and add the garlic to the vegetables.

Blend until smooth. (Add a little of the vegetable stock if needed so blending is easy. Work in batches as necessary.) Spoon puree into saucepan.

Blend in vegetable stock and rubbed sage. Season to taste with pepper. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot and steamy.