Roasted Garlic Summer Squash Soup

Place garlic in a small dish with a drizzle of olive oil, or wrap tightly in tin foil. Roast garlic for 20 minutes at 450ºF until very soft. Remove from the oven and let cool to the touch.

Meanwhile, make the soup. To a large soup pot, add half the butter, the onion, and celery over medium heat. Saute for 5 minutes until veggies start to soften, then add all the squash. Increase heat to medium-high and add stock. Let stock come to a boil (with the pot uncovered) and then reduce heat so that the soup simmers heavily. Simmer the soup uncovered until the squash is very tender and breaks down, for about 15 minutes. If the pot is dry, add a bit more stock.

When the squash is very soft, carefully cut the garlic bulb in half and squeeze the cloves into the soup. Use a blender or immersion blender to puree the soup until very smooth, then reduce heat to low. Add cream, Parmesan, and remaining butter; stir into the soup. Taste, and add salt and pepper to your preference.

Serve the soup with extra pepper, olive oil for drizzling, fresh basil, and crusty bread for dipping. Enjoy!