Butternut squash soup has fall written all over it! The flavors of nutmeg and cayenne pepper give this hearty, comforting bowl of soup the kick it needs! I decided to make each bowl a little more comforting by topping it with some chopped, crispy bacon. Almost every dish needs an herb, so throw on some chopped rosemary, thyme, sage or even parsley to finish with a pretty and tasty touch.

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Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash, cut into cubes (about 2 cups)

• Sliced carrots (about 1 cup or so)

• 2 leeks, trimmed and sliced

• 1 ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg

• Ground cayenne pepper

• Salt

• Olive oil

• 6 cups vegetable broth

• Optional toppings: bacon bits, freshly chopped rosemary, sour cream

Instructions

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to pot. Add leeks, butternut squash and carrots. Season by sprinkling salt over veggies, then sprinkle ground nutmeg. Drizzle a little more olive oil if it’s too dry, then let saute for about a few minutes until leeks begin to soften.

2. Add 2 cups of vegetable broth, stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium low and cover the pot with lid. Let the veggies cook in covered pot until very tender, about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Sprinkle cayenne pepper to your liking.

3. Once the veggies are very tender (pierce with fork to check) it is time to puree, you have two options:

   1. Immersion hand blender to puree all the veggies- add 4 more cups of vegetable broth and continue pureeing if needed (until smooth). Add salt to taste.

   2. Vitamix or powerful blender- pour the cooked veggies in broth into the blender and puree. If you have a large Vitamix, you can fit the additional 4 cups of broth. You may then blend for 5 minutes as it heats itself. If using another blender, just use it to puree veggies then add back to the pot with 4 cups of broth and bring to a light boil for a couple minutes until soup is hot. Add salt to taste.

4. Have bacon bits on hand, or set aside time to cook up a few strips of bacon. Chop the crispy bacon and set aside.

5. Garnish with bacon, sour cream and freshly chopped rosemary. Serve hot immediately

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