Chipotle Squash Soup

Source: Simply Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 yellow onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
• 4-6 cups chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• Fresh cilantro
• Toasted pepitas
• Creme fraiche (or sour cream, thinned with water)

Instructions

Preheat over to 375 degrees. Peel the squash, halve and scoop out seeds, and cut into a 1/2″ dice. (Or save yourself some work and buy pre-cubed squash.) Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and spray with non-cooking spray. Toss squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice throughout as needed. Set aside to cool.

Peel, halve, and roughly chop the onion. Smash, peel, and roughly chop garlic. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or deep pot on medium-high heat. Add onions and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and cook for a couple minutes until translucent. Add garlic, cumin, and chipotle peppers and cook for an additional minute or two. Add chicken stock, bay leaf, oregano, and squash and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, partly covered.

Remove pan from heat, take out bay leaf, and use immersion blender to puree the soup. Mix in lime juice, taste and adjust seasonings to taste – adding more cumin, chipotle, adobo sauce, lime, salt and pepper as desired.

Serve each bowl with a drizzle of creme fraiche and top with pepitas and chopped cilantro.