Roasted butternut squash soup

This nutritious soup is easy to prepare, has wonderful flavor, and is high in antioxidants. It is almost fat-free since the soup is made without frying any of the ingredients.

1 butternut squash, about 2 pounds
1 large yellow onion
1 head of garlic
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 to 2 teaspoons of dried thyme
3 to 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
Season to taste

 

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

 

• Wash the vegetables. Cut the squash in half vertically. Scrape the seeds out and discard. Cut each half into about 4 chunks for a total of 8 pieces.

 

• Cut the unpeeled onion in half vertically. Cut 1/2 inch off the top of the garlic head, exposing the cloves.

 

• Arrange the garlic, squash, and onion, cut side up, on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with thyme.

 

• Cover dish tightly with foil and bake until the squash is tender when pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

 

• After vegetables have cooled enough to handle, scrape squash off of the skin and into a food processor or blender. Discard the skin.

 

• Peel the skin off of the onion and trim the root and add the roasted onion to the squash. Separate 9 to 12 of the garlic cloves and squeeze the soft garlic in with the vegetables. Add any juices that have collected in the baking pan.

 

• Add 3 cups of broth and puree the mixture until smooth. Add extra broth as needed to achieve your desired consistency.

 

• Transfer soup to a 4 or 5 quart soup pot and heat over medium heat. Season with freshly ground pepper. If you like, garnish the soup in the bowl with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil or some chopped parsley.

Source: Kaiser Permanente