3 T. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs. cleaned butternut squash into 2-inch cubes
1 sweet onion, cut into 1/8ths
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
1/16 kosher salt
dash of pepper
4 c. chicken broth
1 c. plain yogurt (NOT non-fat)
3 T. fresh chopped chives
2 T. toasted sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, toss together oil, squash, onions, cumin, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a flat roasting pan and roast 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden brown.

Transfer vegetables to a soup pot and cover with chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer soup 20-25 minutes. Puree soup and add yogurt. Adjust seasoning and serve hot, sprinkled with chives and toasted seeds or with fresh basil and a dash of cayenne pepper.

Makes 6 servings.

I’ve made this soup several times, but the most recent results allowed me to post this recipe with confidence.  What had I done differently?  Use garlic confit to roast the vegetables was one thing, but the defining difference — I believe — was purchasing a locally grown butternut squash.  It was sweeter than any I’d worked with before.  It was gloriously colorful (see photo!).  The moral of this is to buy fresh, buy local.