Spicy Butternut Squash Soup

by ifrdaily

• 2 lbs pre-cut butternut squash
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 dried red chiles, crushed
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1-2 tbsp neutral oil
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced thin
•  1 large clove of garlic, chopped fine
• 2-3 cloves
• 4-5 cups of water
• 1/8 cup heavy cream (optional)
• Salt to taste

1. Heat your oven to 350F.
2. Line a cookie sheet or baking tray with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Spread butternut squash in a single layer. Sprinkle crushed red chile and cumin seeds over the squash. Drizzle olive oil. Mix well.
3. Roast in oven for 15-20 minutes until cooked and edges of squash are lightly caramelized.
4. While the squash is in the oven, sauté the sliced onion and chopped garlic on medium-high until the onion is browned or lightly caramelized. The onion will not evenly caramelize and that’s ok.
5. Add roasted squash to pot, followed by cloves and add 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 
6. Once it boils, lower heat to low. Using your hand blender, blend to a smooth consistency. 
7. Either add heavy cream to the pot and mix well or garnish each bowl with about 1 tsp of heavy cream. If you have roasted pepitas, these add both color and texture to the soup.
8. Enjoy hot!