Roasted Butternut Curry Soup

Is it just me, or is everything pumpkin flavored right now? I do love pumpkin, but butternut squash will always be my favorite seasonal flavor. You can eat butternut squash pretty much anytime of year these days, but it only really feels right in the fall. It's absolutely perfect for soup because it doesn't need to be gussied up. It's pretty close to perfect as-is.

It's even better when paired with curry and lime. I know it sounds weird, but go with me on this. Throw in some apple cider and you have fall warmth in a bowl.

Ingredients
1 small butternut squash
1 sweet yellow onion, chopped
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp smoked salt
1/2 cup apple cider or good apple juice
1 cup warm water
2 tsp Better Than Boullion veggie paste
1 14 ounce can coconut milk
2 tsp lime juice

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the stringy stuff and the seeds. Brush the cut side with a little olive oil and sprinkle on some salt and pepper. Place both halves cut side down on the baking sheet and put enough water in the sheet to cover the whole surface with 1/2 inch of water. Put the squash in the oven and roast it until browned and soft, about 1 hour. When it's done, a fork should easily pass through the flesh of the squash. Set it aside to cool. It'll look like this:

Add some olive oil to a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot and put it over medium heat. Saute the onions until soft, then add the curry, ginger and salt, stirring it around to coat the onions. Add the cider or apple juice, scraping any browned bits from the surface of the pot.

Bring to a boil and simmer until the cider has reduced by half. It'll be much thicker than when you started out.

Remove the onion mixture from the heat and add it to a food processor or blender. Scoop the squash flesh from the rind and add it as well. Puree it all together until smooth, then transfer it back to the pot and put it over low heat.

Dissolve the bouillon in the hot water and add that along with the coconut milk to the pot, stirring to combine.

It'll look like a wreck at first, but don't worry, it'll come together. Turn the heat up and let it simmer for 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Add the lime juice and salt and pepper (if needed).