Carrot and Ginger Butternut Squash Soup

Note: You will also need a powerful blender, food processor, or immersion blender.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Carefully cut the skin off the squash and chop squash into 1-inch pieces. Cut carrots into 1-inch pieces. Place 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. Sprinkle in turmeric and the paprika. Cover and toss to evenly coat the veggies.

Place the veggies onto a large baking tray, spaced out, and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until they are tender (test with a fork). Remove veggies from the oven and set aside.

In a large stock pot, heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over moderate heat. Add garlic and onions. Sauté until garlic is fragrant and onions are slightly translucent. Add ginger and sauté for another minute or so, stirring well. Finally, add roasted vegetables to the stockpot.

Add vegetable stock and bring to a simmer for approximately 5 minutes, just to let those flavors hang out for a bit!

Now, it’s 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.
Serve it up!

If desired, garnish with raw pepitas, plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, and chopped chives!