Carrot and Ginger Butternut Squash Soup

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 425° F.
2. Carefully cut the skin off of the squash and chop it into 1-inch pieces.
3. Cut the carrots into 1-inch pieces.
4. Place the squash and carrots into a large bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and hit the veggies with some kosher salt and ground black pepper.
5. Sprinkle in the turmeric and the paprika.
6. Cover and toss to evenly coat the veggies.
7. Place the veggies onto a large baking tray, spaced out, and bake for approx. 30 minutes or until they are tender (test with a fork).
8. Remove the veggies from the oven and set aside.
9. In a large stock pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over moderate heat.
10. Add the garlic and onions. Sauté until garlic is fragrant and onions are slightly translucent.
11. Add the ginger, and sauté for another minute or so, stirring well.
12. Finally, add the roasted vegetables to the stockpot.
13. Add the vegetable stock, and bring to a simmer for approx. 5 minutes--just to let those flavors hang out for a bit!
14. Now, time to puree. If you're using an immersion blender, go to town in the stockpot. If not, transfer some of the contents of the stockpot into a blender in batches, pureeing bit by bit until the soup has a smooth and silky texture. I always have a large bowl handy so I have somewhere to put the pureed soup.
15. Serve it up! Optional: garnish with raw pepitas and/or plain Greek yogurt or sour cream.