This is heavenly! Especially with freshly-baked whole-grain wheat bread and organic butter. Yum!

Takes at least 1.5 hours to prepare and simmer, serves about 5 people.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium acorn or butternut squash
• 2.5 cups water or stock
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 Tbs butter
• .5 cup chopped onion
• 1 medium clove garlic, crushed
• 6 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• .5 tsp ground cumin
• .5 tsp coriander
• .5 tsp cinnamon
• .75 tsp ground ginger
• .25 tsp dry mustard
• 1.25 tsp salt
• a few dashes cayenne
• optional: fresh lemon juice
• optional toppings: chopped toasted almonds, yogurt

Directions:

Split the squash lengthwise and bake face-down in a 375 degree oven on an oiled tray for 30 minutes or until soft. Cool and scoop out the insides. You’ll need about 3 cups-worth. Put it in the blender with the water or stock and puree until smooth. Combine in a kettle or saucepan with the orange juice.

Heat the butter in a skillet and add the garlic, onion, slat and spices. Saute until the onion is very soft. (You may need to add a little water if it sticks). Add mushrooms, cover, and cook 10 minutes.

Add the saute to the squash, scrpaing the skillet well to salvage all the good stuff. Heat everything together very gently. Tast to correct sseasoning. You may want more cayenne or salt. adn, since this is a fairly sweet soup, you may want to spriuce it up with some fresh-squeezed lemon juice.

Serve topped with yogurt and chopped, toasted almonds. (Note: this soup doesn’t need to be served immediately; it can simmer a while and the flavors will mature. Also freezes well, in case you want to make a big batch and save some for an easy meal later).

{If anyone knows who created this recipe, please let me know. I’d like to give them credit here, and would be happy to link to their site if they have one.  Thanks!}