Winter Squash Soup (Taste Of Home) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups mashed cooked butternut squash (I use 1 large butternut squash, but acorn or hubbard would work as well)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon dried savory
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup half-and-half

Preparation

If you have a preferred way of cooking your squash, cook it and mash it and skip to step 6; if not, read on.
Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
Place the squash flesh side down in a casserole dish filled with 1 inch of water.
Bake at 350 degrees until the squash is soft and the skin is blistered slightly (45 minutes to an hour).
Remove the skin and mash the squash - you need 2 cups for this recipe.
In a large saucepan, saute celery, onion, and garlic in butter until tender.
Stir in flour until blended.
Gradually add the broth and bring to a boil.
Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
Reduce heat and stir in all remaining ingredients extept the half and half.
Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until heated through.
Use a blender or food processor to process the soup in batches until smooth.
Return to the pan and heat through.
Gradually stir in the half and half.
Cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.