Spiced-Up Butternut Squash Soup

I wanted to make a soup at Thanksgiving which celebrated my Indian Heritage as well as my life in America. Being a vegetarian myself, I know how hard it is to find soups which are friendly to vegetarians and vegans. This is a great soup for Vegans as it uses coconut milk instead of cream. It is a sweet and spicy soup.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons  grapeseed oil or 3  tablespoons canola oil
• 1  medium  butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 1 1⁄4 cups onions, chopped
• 1 1⁄4 cups carrots, chopped
• 4  celery ribs, peeled and chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 3  scallions, chopped
• 32  ounces  vegetable stock (unsalted)
• 2⁄3 cup coconut milk
• 1  teaspoon turmeric
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cumin seed, Toasted and ground
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne (add more or less depending on spice preference)
• 1  teaspoon ground coriander
• 1⁄3 teaspoon garam masala
•  salt
•  pepper

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place butternut squash in a cookie sheet, drizzle with 2 tbsp of oil, sprinkle 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper. Roast until squash is tender but not mushy. Stir the squash during the roasting process for even cooking.
3. While the squash is roasting, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Once the onion is translucent, add garlic and green onion, stir and cook for 1 minute. Turn the heat on low, add all the spices to the pot, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add roasted squash and stock. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Puree soup using a stick blender or in a blender (If using a blender, pour soup back in pot). Stir in coconut milk. Salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat on low and warm through.