Roasted Butternut Squash & Ginger Carrot Soup

Um...SO much better than it looks.

Alright, so I haven't quite mastered the art of food photography. All I can say is - even though the above photo looks like crap in a bowl (literally) - this recipe is a winner in every single way. During this high maintenance season, you will not disappoint even one of your high maintenance eaters with this delicious, hearty, spicy, soothing bowl of perfection. Even the ones who are probably willing to stuff just about anything in their mouths anyway will take notice. Happy holidays to the challenging taste buds, highly allergic, animal lovers, chemically sensitive, and folks who just like to complain. Here's a dish that absolutely all of you can eat and enjoy. A true miracle.

Ingredients
2 peeled and cubed butternut squash (No worries if your cubes aren't cube-like. Uneven chunks are fine.)
6 organic carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large red onion, sliced
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 sizable "hand" of ginger, peeled and chopped
1 container organic low sodium vegetable broth
Olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees while you prep the veggies. Mist a large baking dish with olive oil. Place squash and carrots in the baking dish and lightly coat with olive oil and a light dusting of sea salt. Roast until vegetables are soft (about 45-60 minutes). Make sure to stir them every 15 minutes so they don't stick to the pan.

While the veggies are roasting, place about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large stock pot. Cook onions, garlic, and ginger together for about 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add entire container of vegetable stock and about 1- 1 1/2 cups of waters. Turn the burner on low and simmer. When the squash and carrots are cooked, add them to the pot. Mash the mixture with a potato masher until the soup starts to thicken. Season with salt and pepper and serve!