Curry Butternut Squash Soup

Makes: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 45 minutes   Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Special Equipment: Immersion Blender

24 oz butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2 inch cubes (reserve seeds)
1 medium white onion, quartered
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch slices
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, whole
1 tbs + 1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbs grated ginger
40 oz chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
1/3 cup creme fraiche
1/4 cup chili oil
2 tbs honey

•  Heat 1 tbs vegetable oil in a large soup pot over high heat. Saute the squash, onion, carrots, parsnips, and garlic for 5 minutes, or until they start to brown. Add the spices (curry- cinnamon), cover the pot, and let the vegetables sweat for another 8-10 minutes over high heat. This retains some of the moisture while allowing the spices to really soak into the vegetables.
• Remove the lid, give everything a good stir, and add the stock and ginger. Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce to low heat. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
• While the soup cooks, clean the seeds of any remaining pulp. Dry them off well and toss in a drizzle of vegetable oil and the 2 tbs honey. Lightly toast them in a saute pan and set aside.
• If you do not have chili oil, you can quickly make some by mixing together 1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil with 2 tsp chili powder and 1 tsp paprika. Lightly season with salt and let it sit aside for the remaining cooking time. You are just using a drizzle in each bowl, so you want there to be a kick!
• After the soup has finished cooking, you can remove the lid and should see that most of the vegetables are breaking down and losing texture. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. If you do not own an immersion blender, you can pour half the soup at a time into a blender and blend just the same. Make sure the soup is slightly cooled so that you don’t end up with orange splattered all over the walls! The soup should be thick, but if it seems too thick add a few more ounces of stock and blend in completely.
• Ladle the soup into six bowls. Drizzle a circle of creme fraiche, then the chili oil, and finally garnish with some toasted seeds and some fresh herbs.