Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

1 large butternut squash
5 large red potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 small to medium onion, chopped
2 tbs of curry powder
1 dollop of sour cream
a few chopped chives or green onions for garnish (optional)
1 carton of veggie or chicken low sodium stock
2 cups of water
1 cup of fat free milk
salt and pepper
1 tbs of Smart Balance butter or your butter choice

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the butternut squash in half. BE CAREFUL. Use a large chef knife. Place it face down in a nonstick pan after you salt it a bit. You may need to add a little oil or oil spray to your pan when placing it down on the pan so that it doesn't stick.

In a large pot, add butter, onions, celery, and carrots. Slightly cover and simmer on low until soft (ten minutes). Add stock, potatoes, and curry powder. Bring to high heat. Once potatoes are fairly soft,  add the butternut squash. Scoop it out. It's a little messy but get all the good stuff out. Discard of all seeds. They don't go in the soup.

Bring to a boil and then down to low-medium heat.  Once everything is very soft, use an immersion blender to puree the soup. You can use a blender but make sure the soup has cooled somewhat and you place it in the blender in batches. It doesn't need to be finely pureed.

Once blended, place back on simmer and add milk, water, and salt and pepper to taste.  Let simmer for at least 10 minutes.

*Optional- serve with a dollop of sour cream (low fat or fat-free) and chopped chives or green onions (scallions).


Serve the soup with a side salad or a big sandwich-although it is filling by itself. Enjoy!