Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Roasted and spiced butternut squash and yam combine in a bright, velvety soup that evokes the warmth of the hearth. It's also easy to digest and is loaded with complex carbohydrates and antioxidant carotenoids.

2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut in big chunks
2 small yams, peeled and cut in big chunks
2 Tbsp (30 ml) + 3 Tbsp (45 ml) cold butter
2 Tbsp (30 ml) maple syrup
2 pieces star anise
2 pieces cardamom
1 small red onion, cut in chunks
1 Tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups (1 l) vegetable stock or filtered water
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch cloves
Pinch cinnamon
Sea salt or vegetable salt, to taste
1/2 cup (125 ml) whipping cream

Place squash and yam in a baking dish then dot with two tablespoons (30 ml) of butter and drizzle with maple syrup. Roast in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and soft.

Place anise and cardamom in cheesecloth and tie into a spice bag, also called bouquet garni. In a large pot, saut?nion in oil until translucent. Add vegetable stock, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, spice bag, salt and roasted squash and yam; simmer for five minutes. Remove spice bag then place soup in a blender and blend with three tablespoons (45 ml) of cold butter to make it creamy. Return to pot, stir in cream and gently heat through.

Source: alive #228, October 2001