If you want to make your dog mad, strap a monkey to their back and take their picture.

Seriously mom, you are SO annoying.

Go to youtube and look up “baby monkey (backwards on a pig)” and this will be much funnier.

Why were we here again…? Oh yeah, food.

I had never tried butternut squash before making this soup. I was afraid of anything called squash (and most vegetables for that matter). So I understand some people will cringe at the thought of pureed squash. My boyfriend is terrified of butternut squash. I think maybe he was attacked my a giant squash when he was a kid. It must have been pretty traumatizing…he can hardly stand the sight of the stuff now. Poor guy 😦

The thing I love about this soup, besides it being really yummy, is that it is so cheap to make! Pretty much all you need to buy is squash, an onion, a small pepper and some ginger. And this soup will last you allllllll week and then some.

I purchased pre-cut up squash to save some time (costco has pre-cut squash!). The best way to prepare a whole squash for this recipe is to use a serrated peeler to peel the entire squash, then cut the long part from the bulbous part, then cut each half in half. Then scrape the seeds out. Then cut the squash into large chunks for roasting.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Taken from Vegan with a Vengeance

5 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into large pieces
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 hot chili, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, mined
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon maple syrup
3-6 tablespoons lime juice

Preheat oven to 425˚. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray it with cooking spray. Place the cut squash on the baking sheet and spread a little olive oil them. I use a high-tech method of pouring oil on my hands and rubbing my hands on the squash. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a fork can be easily inserted.
In the meantime, in a large stockpot over medium heat sauté the onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the chilies and sauté 5 more minutes. Last, add the ginger, garlic and salt and sauté for 2 more minutes.
Here is the tricky part where you need patience or else you will end up with a big mess. This is when I wish I had a vitamix blender. Get your blender or food processor out. Place the onion mixture in the food processor along with some of the squash and some broth. Puree until smooth and then pour into the stockpot. Repeat with remaining broth and squash in small batches until it’s all in the stockpot. Add maple syrup and lime juice.

Roasted squash

Pureed squash

Squash soup!

Have a lovely fall weekend!