My best friend, Beth, is an amazing cook and is very generous with her recipes.  If I am looking for a new recipe or idea, I know who to calll!  A few weeks ago, I was looking for a yummy, warm soup recipe, and she offered this recipe for Butternut Squash Soup.  I love it so much that I’ve actually made it twice in the last two weeks!  Don’t forget the nutmeg….

Easy Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, large and preferably a long (as opposed to fat) one.
1 1/2 cans light coconut milk (or 2/3 can light coconut milk and an equal portion of skim milk)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 yellow onion, large
2 tablespoons butter
salt
nutmeg for decorating
Directions:
Cut the squash in half lengthwise. You may need help…at least someone very, very strong or, as Beth notes jokingly, a chainsaw! Be careful of your fingers.

Scoop out and discard the seeds. Rub the squash with about 1 tablespoon of melted butter, and sprinkle with salt. Roast the squash cut-side-up on a cookie sheet for at least an hour at 375. Roasting it for a long time gives the squash a lovely, complex caramely flavor. It should look like this, and a butter knife should go in very easily:

While the squash is roasting, slice and saute the onion in the remaining tablespoon of butter, and when it is soft, add the brown sugar and continue cooking for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

When the squash is finished, scoop the flesh out with a spoon, and put it in your blender. Add the onion/brown sugar mixture. Add the coconut milk. Blend until smooth. If your blender is small, you may need to do this in batches.

 Just heat and serve! This soup is incredible with a sprinkling of nutmeg, and is very rich and subtly sweet and flavorful without being heavy on sugar carbs, and while being naturally rich in fiber and beta carotene! It also freezes well.