Butternut Squash Soup

A delicious vegetarian soup that features roasted butternut squash. This was adapted from a recipe that was in an issue of Bon Appetit Magazine.

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 Butternut Squash (1 1/2 pounds) halved lengthwise and seeded
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 3/4 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 6 cups (plus more if needed) vegetable broth, divided
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus sprigs for garnish
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon minced seeded serrano chile (optional)
• Course sea salt
• Plain nonfat yogurt

Preheat oven to 400. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Sprinkle halves of squash with salt and pepper. Arrange, cut side down, on prepared sheet. Roast squash until tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Turn squash cut side up and cool. Scoop squash out into a medium bowl.

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until pale golden, about 10 minutes. Mix in the celery and garlic. Add 1 cup of the broth. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add squash, 5 cups broth, and cumin. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Being very careful, take a hand blender and work it through the soup until smooth. Thin squash soup to a desired consistency with more vegetable broth. Add the red bell pepper, cilantro, thyme and serrano chile. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Season soup to taste with coarse salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish each with a dollop of yogurt and sprig of cilantro.