Low-Carb Butternut Squash Soup

Serving size: 5-6 bowls
Cooking time: 1-1.5 hours

So this Cleveland weather is already bad and it's only November. You know that feeling when you walk outside and it literally burns your face or any part of skin that exposed? That's a feeling that only a warm blanket, a cozy fire, and some hot soup can fix. I've never made butternut squash soup, this recipe is my first crack at it.  It turned out so good.  I looked at a recipe I found on the Atkins diet website and based my soup recipe off of that. 

Just a little warning- the squash is really hard to peel.  I suggest using a hand held peeler other than an simple apple peeler.  All I had at my house was a flimsy peeler and it took me a very long time to get the thick skin off of the squash. Also, for dicing, after peeling your squash I would recommend cutting it in half hamburger style, aka separate the body from the neck. Then, slice the neck part of the squash into circles and dice from there. Cut the body of the squash in half, this will expose the seeds and make it easy for you to scoop everything out.  After you get rid of the seeds it's easy to chop it right up.

When you are roasting the squash in the oven be sure to check on it every 5 minutes to make sure it's not burning. You will have to flip them over a the halfway point to ensure they are cooking all the way through. 

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash; skinned & diced into 1" cubes 
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil- keep tablespoon separate
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup of sliced onion
1/4 teaspoon of ginger
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon 
1/8 teaspoon of allspice 
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pinch of parsley 
1 pinch of cheese [feta, parm, or goat]

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Skin and dice squash into 1 and 1/2 inch cubes. 
2. Toss the squash in a ziplock bag with a little salt and one tablespoon of the extra virgin olive oil. Then place on baking sheet and let roast in the oven for about 15 minutes. [I like to put a layer of lightly greased parchment paper or tinfoil on top of the baking sheet to avoid more cleanup time when finished using.] Be sure to flip the squash over after the first 7 minutes. 
3. Peel and slice onion, toss onion in the other tablespoon of olive oil, add the the roasting squash and continue to roast the mixture for another 20 minutes. 
4. In a large skillet, combine all of the spices and tomato paste. Spread out the tomato paste on the lining of the skillet and turn the heat on low-medium. Quickly add the chicken broth,  roasted onions, and squash. Add in the garlic clove. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes. 
5. After the mixture has boiled, add the heavy cream and turn off the flame.
6. Pour the contents of the skillet into a blender or immersion blender. This will puree the soup and give it that thick soupy texture. 
7. Pour your soup into individual bowls and serve hot. You can add a scoop of greek yogurt, some feta or parm cheese, and parsley to the top when you are done! Don't forget the salt and pepper too.