Creamy, Delicious Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut squash is a great comfort food you can enjoy without the guilt of major calories and fat like so many other delicious and sinful comfort foods. Of course you can make it a tad evil by adding coconut milk or cream but it's really not necessary. This is also a very easy soup and doesn't require lengthy cooking time. Sage leaves add nice flavor and color to the soup. Squash and sage are a classic pairing. Give it a try.

This recipe is adapted from one I found on epicurious.com.

Ingredients:
- 2 butternut squash (about 4 3/4 pounds total), halved lengthwise, seeded
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cups thinly sliced onion
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice or 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp minced fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 5 cups (or more) canned chicken broth
- Sage leaves for flavor and garnish (optional)

other options:
- Add in 1 cup of coconut milk when it's done to add a nice, creamy flavor
- Substitute 1 tsp Pumpkin Spice (or 1/3 tsp nutmeg, 1/3 tsp cinnamon and 1/3 tsp allspice) for the cinnamon stick

How to:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Oil baking sheet. Place squash, cut side down, on baking sheet and bake until squash is very soft, about 50-60 minutes (knife should go into squash very easily).
- Using paring knife, remove peel from squash; discard peel. Cut squash into 2-inch pieces.
- Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-low heat.
- Mix in onion, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and pumpkin spice.
- Cover pot and cook until onion is tender, about 15 minutes.
- Add squash and 5 cups chicken broth. Bring to boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
- Working in batches, purée soup in blender or use an immersion blender (my person favorite because you can stick it right in the pot instead of pouring the hot soup into a blender and risking it exploding all over the place - not fun). Season soup with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with sage leaves or chopped sage on top.

Remember to let soup cool to room temperature before refrigerating.