Butternut Squash Soup

2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 carrot, peeled and chunked (optional)
2T olive oil
4T butter
1 large onion, minced or sliced thinly
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1T beef bouillon paste
16 oz chicken stock
1t thyme
pinch cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
salt to taste
1 c heavy cream
potato flakes (optional)

Toss the squash and carrot chunks with the olive oil and roast on 1-2 baking sheets at 400 (convection) for 30 mins, turning 1-2 times. The squash should be browned/caramelized, and not crowded and steamed. Let cool.

Melt the butter in a dutch oven or large sauce pan, and add the onion and garlic to brown.  Add the bouillon paste and stir until it's dissolved.

Add the squash to the onions and garlic. Add most of the stock to the pan, reserving a bit to use to remove the cooked bits of squash/carrot from the baking sheets. Dump the broth and bits into the dutch oven.

Add the thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, and let the mixture simmer for about 7 minutes.

Blend the mixture with an immersion blender (or remove to a conventional blender and return the puree to the dutch oven when it's blended). Add the cream.

If you want a thicker soup, add potato flakes until you reach the desired consistency.