Butternut Squash Soup - Vegan - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 quarts vegetable stock
4 lbs butternut squash
2 cups carrots, diced 1/2 inch dice
2 cups celery, diced 1/2 inch dice
1 cup onion, diced 1/2 inch dice
1/2 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 bay leaf
1 pinch white pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground
2 teaspoons parsley, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Preparation

Cute butternut squash in half lenghtwise and remove seeds.
Place squash cutside down on a parchment lined sheet pan and roast in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until squash is soft to the touch, and the skin begins to pull away from the flesh.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Spoon roasted squash out of the skin and pass it through a ricer or food mill to remove any of the stringy fibers.
Heat olive oil in a large stockpot and sute/swet the carrots, celery and onions, until the onions and carrots just start to caramelize.
Deglaze the pot with sherry.
Add the vegetable stock, salt, pepper, nutmeg and bay leaf and bring to a boil.
Add the squash, reduce to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
Remove the by leaf, and puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender until it reaches a smooth creamy consistency.
Taste, and add salt and pepper if needed.
Garnish with chopped parsley and paprika and serve.