Spicy Roasted Poblano and Butternut Squash Soup

A little sweet and a lot spicy, soup is the epitome of everything I want in a cold-weather soup.  Once blended, it becomes luxuriously creamy, but remains dairy-free!  Serve with a splash of maple syrup, or better yet, top with a maple candy leaf and let it melt before your impressed friends and family at Thanksgiving :)

What (your ingredients):
1 butternut squash
2 poblano peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
¼ teaspoon allspice
4 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons maple syrup

How (your directions):

Preheat oven to 400° F.  Pierce whole butternut squash a few times with a sharp knife and place in baking pan.  Roast for 1 hour.  Add whole poblano peppers to pan with the whole squash and roast an additional 30 minutes.

When the squash and peppers are almost finished roasting, add olive oil to a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add diced onion and stir for 3-5 minutes.  Add whole garlic cloves and spices. 

Remove squash and peppers from oven.  Remove skin from charred peppers, then roughly chop peppers.  Add pepper flesh and seeds to the Dutch oven.

Remove the stem and tough bottom portion of the squash and discard.  Cut whole squash into large chunks and add to Dutch oven.  Be sure to add the caramelized skin and seeds!  You are literally adding the entire squash!  Isn’t that easy?

Add 4 cups vegetable stock and simmer on low for 5 minutes.  Blend until smooth using an immersion blender or in batches using a high-speed blender. 

Over low heat, simmer soup for an additional 10 minutes.  stir in maple syrup and serve hot.

Be sure to top with a swirl of maple syrup!

Why (the science):  Why would you skin a squash, remove the seeds, and then roast it when you can simply roast it whole!?  The skin is incredibly nutritious and rich in fiber, and adding the seeds provides protein for satiety.