Butternut Squash Soup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

1 med. to large butternut squash (about 3 1/2 lbs) halved and seeded. I brush the squash with EVOO and season with salt and pepper before baking.

Place cut side down on an oiled baking sheet. Bake until the squash can easily be pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. Let cool, then scoop the pulp from the squash skin and discard the skin. Melt or heat in a soup pot, over medium to low heat:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Add and cook, stirring, until tender but not browned, 5-10 minutes:

2 large leeks (white part only) cleaned thoroughly and chopped.
4 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger (if you are not a big ginger fan start with less)

Stir in the squash along with:

4 c. chicken broth (My favorite chicken broth is the Knorr's large size bouillon cubes. I just use these to make the broth in a separate pot to add to the soup.

Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring and breaking up the squash with a spoon, for 20 minutes. Puree the mixture in batches in the Food processor or blender and return to the soup pot. Add more chicken broth until you have it to the consistency that you would like. I usually don't add more chicken broth, I like my soup more thick and hearty.

You can garnish with fresh parsley, cilantro, croutons or toasted squash seeds (all optional).

~Joy of Cooking