If I have not said it enough, I say it again, I love fall! With the nights getting colder and days shorter, there is nothing I long for more than a warm bowl of soup at the end of the day. Fall brings with it different kinds of squashes. One of my favorite squashes to cook with is the butternut squash. It has a mild sweet flavor to it. Add a few fall spices to it and voila you have edible magic! Here is a warm soup recipe that is perfect for a cold fall evening dinner.

What you will need:

How to make it:

• Finely chop the onions, celery and carrots. You can also pulse these in a food processor. This is your mirepoix.
• Finely chop the garlic and bell peppers as well.
• Wash, peel and dice the butternut squash.
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon of butter in a pan. Add the mirepoix along with salt. Please adjust the salt for this recipe based on the kind of stock you use. Some stocks have more salt than others.
• Once the mirepoix begins to ooze water and gets translucent, add the chopped garlic and bell peppers. Cook until soft.
• Add the diced butternut squash and 1/2 the stock. You can use any stock of your choice for this recipe. Cook till the butternut squash is soft.
• Turn the flame off and let the ingredients cool.
• Add to a food processor and blend until a smooth paste is obtained adding the remaining amount of stock.
• You can, at this point, pass the soup through a strainer to get a smooth silky soup. I like my soups a little chunky because they are rich in fiber. So I skipped this step.
• Heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of butter in a bowl. Add the thyme and saute for about 1/2 a minute.
• Add the blended soup and let it come to a boil.
• Remove and discard the strings of thyme before serving.
• Garnish with sunflower seeds and a little cream. Enjoy!