Soups

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Peel and seed the butternut squash. Cut into cubes and put in a large bowl or measuring cup. It should be approximately 4 – 6 cups of butternut squash. 
3. Pour maple syrup and olive oil into the bowl and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle with salt and stir.
4. Spread on a lined baking sheet and roast in oven for approximately 45 minutes.
5. While roasting, dice 1/2 onion and chop garlic.
6. In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil, add onion and cook until softened. Add garlic and keep on heat for another 5 minutes without browning the garlic.
7. Add 2 cups of water and 4 cups of vegetable stock to the pot. Add in the cinnamon stick, bay leaves and thyme.
8. Simmer on low heat or set aside until the squash is ready. Add 4 cups of squash to the pot and cook on med-low heat for another 30 minutes. *
9. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves. You can blend with a hand blender right in the pot. Or, ladle carefully into a blender (in batches 1/2 way filled & top open  to let heat escape – but covered with a cloth). Blend until there are no more chunks and the soup is smooth.
10. Set aside covered in a pot. 
11. Place Pepitas on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and a small sprinkle of cinnamon, salt and cayenne and toast in the oven at 275° for 5 – 7 min. 
12. Heat soup and add more water or vegetable stock to thin out to desired consistency. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with Pepitas, a drizzle of oil and some chopped sage.