Roasted Pumpkin and Butternut Squash Soup

serves 6 to 8

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Cut pumpkin and butternut squash into 2-inch chunks, removing the inner seeds and fibrous bits.  I roasted my pumpkin and squash with the peel on and removed the cooked flesh from the peel once baked.  If you think it’s easier to peel the pumpkin and squash before baking, then go right ahead.

Slice the white flesh up until the green stalks of several leeks.  Toss the pumpkin, squash, whole garlic cloves and leeks on a baking tray with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a fork inserted in the flesh of the pumpkin and squash meets no resistance.

Remove from the oven and allow them to rest until cool enough to handle.

When cooled, use a spoon to scoop the cooked flesh away from the squash peel and place in a large saucepan.  Add the roasted garlic and leeks to the pan too.  Add 3 cups of warm vegetable broth and using a hand blender, blend and breakdown the squash flesh with the broth.  If you don’t have a hand blender, blending the chunky soup in a regular blender in batches should work too.  Add 2 to 3 more cups of broth and blend until you’ve reached the desired consistency.  Add sugar and nutmeg.

Cook soup over medium heat for 30 minutes.  Add cream and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir.  Serve warm.

See more at http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/10/pumpkin-and-butternut-squash-soup/