FEEDS: 4-6 easily

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• 1 butternut squash, medium size, apx. 3#
• 1 Mayan Sweet onion, medium size, apx. 1/2#
• 2 Granny Smith apples
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 T. oil, grapeseed, olive or canola
• 1 t. ground ginger
• 1 t. ground nutmeg
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 32 oz. Box vegetable broth

Garnish:

• 1-2 raw shrimp per person, peel and chop fine.
• 1 T. fresh cilantro per person, chopped.

LET'S COOK

Trim each end of the butternut squash and then slice into 2-inch thick discs. Using a heavy metal cooking spoon, scrape the seeds from the large sections. Place each disc on the cutting board, large side down. Using a French knife, slice the peel from each squash disc. Now cut the squash into relatively uniform pieces about the size of a small plum.

Drop the squash into a glass-baking dish. Peel and cut the onion into the same basic size of the squash pieces. Add to the baking dish. Peel, quarter and core the apples and add to the dish. Also peel and slice and add the garlic.

Mix in the oil, ginger, nutmeg and the salt and pepper. Toss it all together to evenly coat all the ingredients. Place in a preheated 400-degree oven and cook for 50-60 minutes, stirring at least once during the cooking time. When the squash is tender, poke it with a knife or fork and remove from the oven.

Spoon about half of the vegetables into a blender, pour in half the vegetable broth and blend it to a smooth puree. Pour into a soup pot and blend the rest of the vegetables and broth. Light a low fire under the pot and hold for service.

When service time nears, heat a touch of oil in a small sauté pan over a medium high burner. Add the chopped shrimps and stir to start the cooking process. Continue to sauté for a minute or so, add the chopped fresh cilantro and toss and cook just until the shrimp firms up and takes on pink highlights. Ladle the soup into warm soup bowls. Using two tablespoons, place some of the shrimp sauté in the center of each bowl serve.

MORE IDEAS:

Serve as a sauce under sliced roasted pork tenderloin or cilantro dusted sautéed shrimps.