Roasted Butternut Squash Soup is a fall favorite of mine throughout the season and for Thanksgiving. This is a great vegan/vegetarian version topped with
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.
Pour maple syrup and olive oil into the bowl and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle with salt and stir.
Spread on a lined baking sheet and roast in oven for approximately 45 minutes.
While roasting, dice ½ onion and chop garlic.
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.
Add 2 cups of water and 4 cups of vegetable stock to the pot. Add in the cinnamon stick, bay leaves and thyme.
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. *
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 ½ 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.
Set aside covered in a pot.
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.
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.
Notes
*If you have more than 4 cups of squash, you can set some aside for use in another recipe, or you can add more to the soup with additional water.