Butternut squash and roasted red pepper soup

I am very excited about how this soup turned out and can't wait to share the recipe. My kitchen smelled so good this afternoon from the earthy aromas of the roasted red peppers, ginger and garlic mixed with butternut squash. This vegan soup is full of flavors and is very colorful.

Preparation time: 1 hour

Serving : 6-8 people

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 large butternut squash (about 2 lbs peeled, de-seeded and cubed)
1 large onion diced
1 carrot peeled and diced
2 celery stalks diced
1 inch piece ginger
4 garlic cloves minced
2 roasted red peppers diced (I roasted mine on the stove top)
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
8 cups of water

Procedure

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pot on medium high
2. Add the onions, celery, ginger, garlic and sautee for 2 minutes
3. Add the butternut squash, carrots, roasted red pepper, salt, oregano, cayenne pepper and water
4. Bring it to a boil and reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the squash is soft.
5. Cool this and puree in a blender (I used Blendtec blender) or food processor till smooth.
6. Return the puree to the pot and thin the soup if its too thick with some more water and heat.
7. Ladle soup in to bowl top it off with croutons and black pepper

I roasted the red pepper on the stove top and removed the skin and diced it. This website has different ways to roast red pepper. I did not use any cream but feel free to top it of with some cream if you like. You can use vegetable broth instead of water.