Curry Coconut Soup with Roasted Carrots and Butternut Squash

Something about winter makes me want SOUP! It's funny because I always order soup at restaurants, but before a couple of months ago I never made it at home. Now I have been making soups up the wazoo. I like to double the batch and then freeze a portion-Makes for a great "desperate" lunch or dinner on hectic days. I have been (shamelessly) using the crockpot for most of the soups, as it is beyond easy. However, the crockpot is not that great for cream-based ones, so I made this one the old fashion way. I am always over  the moon when an experiment turns out YUMMY like like this Curry Coconut Soup with Roasted Carrots and Butternut Squash.

Here's What You Need: (4 Servings)

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into cubes
2 cups chopped butternut squash*
2/3 cup light coconut milk* (plus a tiny bit extra for topping)
1.5 cups of vegetable or low-sodium chicken broth
Smoked almonds (optional)
1 heaping tsp of sweet curry powder
1 TBS of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Here's What You Do:
Preheat the oven to 450. Toss the squash and carrots with the olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper.Bake for about 15 minutes, turning once. Add the squash and carrots to the blender followed by the broth and the coconut milk. Blend until quite smooth. Warm on the stove for about five minutes on medium low. Add about a 1/2 tsp of extra coconut milk and use the top of your spoon to make a "swirl." Top with chopped almonds if desired. (About three per serving)

Tips: Take off the top circle portion of the blender and hold a towel over it as you blend. This will allow for the steam to release.
*Buy pre-chopped squash in the produce section to make this an ultra fast recipe.
*Find coconut milk near the soy sauce in the Asian section of the grocery store.

Kid Tip:If you plan on making this for your kids  you may want to scoop out a portion for them before adding the curry. Even though this calls for sweet curry, it still tastes kind of spicy. Feel free to sub in another spice, like poultry seasoning, for example.

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