Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Discard the seeds.
3. Place the squash cut side up on a sheet pan. Drizzle a little olive oil over each squash half, season with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of water into the bottom of the pan. Put into the hot oven.
4. Toss the diced sweet potato and parsnips with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper.
5. After the squash has been in the oven for about 20 minutes, remove it from the oven. Add the sweet potatoes and parsnips to the sheet pan in a single layer. Return the pan of vegetables to the oven to roast for about 25 minutes more, until the vegetables are tender.
6. When the roasted vegetables are done, pour any liquid that has accumulated in the center of the squash into a bowl and reserve it for later.
7. Score and scoop the flesh of the butternut squash from the skin, set to the side. Discard the skin.
8. In a Dutch oven, over medium heat, sweat the onions and garlic in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
9. When the onions are translucent, add the cumin, cayenne, dry mustard, allspice and cloves to the pan. Cook and stir for 2 or 3 minutes.
10. Add the roasted vegetables to the Dutch oven. Pour the reserved liquid from the squash into the pan, as well as the stock and remaining 1 cup of water.
11. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.
12. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
13. Puree the soup with either a handheld immersion blender, or pour the soup into a regular blender.
14. If desired, add the heavy cream to the soup (see note below). Or to be fancy, drip a couple of teaspoons of cream into each bowl of soup.

Note: This soup can be frozen for up to 2 months; just don’t add the heavy cream.