Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Note: This recipe is suitable for those following a vegetarian (meat-free) diet, but includes ingredients that may not fit in with vegan or some other vegetarian diets.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Recipe makes: 4 servings

What you need:

1 large butternut squash (about 1½ lbs.)
1 medium Vidalia onion
3 fresh sage leaves
1 tbs. olive oil
3/4 c. low-sodium vegetable broth, plus more as needed (non-vegetarians can use chicken broth, if preferred)
2/3 c. skim milk
salt substitute and pepper to taste (optional)
fat-free sour cream or fat-free Greek yogurt for topping

Equipment and supplies:

Knife and cutting board
Measuring cups and spoons
Large bowl
Large baking dish
Foil
Blender or food processor
Medium saucepan

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Carefully peel the squash (the skin is tough!) and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Peel the onion and cut it into 1-inch cubes.
In a large bowl, toss together squash, onion, sage, and olive oil. Dump mixture into a large baking dish. Pour stock over vegetables and cover the baking dish with foil. Bake vegetables in the oven until they are tender when pierced with a fork — about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check the vegetables halfway through cooking to make sure there is still enough liquid in the pan to prevent scorching. If necessary, add more stock.
Remove baking dish from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Remove sage leaves from baking dish and throw them away.
Place the vegetable mixture into a heavy-duty blender or food processor and process until smooth, about 5 minutes. Slowly stream in skim milk and extra stock until you reach desired consistency. Pour mixture into a medium saucepan to reheat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with 1 tbsp. greek yogurt or sour cream.