Moroccan Spiced Squash and Carrot Soup

Ingredients

• butternut squash
• olive oil
• yellow onion
• paprika
• cumin
• turmeric
• ground coriander
• carrots
• sugar
• chicken stock
• water
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• fresh cilantro
• plain yogurt

Preparation

1. 1preheat oven to 375 f
2. 2cut squash in half from top to bottom and place it , cut side down , on a lightly oiled baking sheet
3. 3bake until squash can be easily skewered , 50 to 60 minutes
4. 4with a spoon , remove seeds and discard
5. 5scrape the pulp from the skin
6. 6reserve the pulp and discard the skin
7. 7warm the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat
8. 8add the onions and cook until soft , 7 minutes
9. 9add the paprika , cumin , turmeric , and coriander and continue to cook , stirring for 2 minutes
10. 10add the squash , carrots , sugar , chicken stock , water , teaspoon salt and 1 / 4 teaspoon pepper
11. 11bring to a boil , reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered until carrots are soft , 20 to 25 minutes
12. 12cool for 15 minutes
13. 13puree the soup in a blender in several batches for 3 minutes each batch until the soup is very smooth
14. 14strain soup through a fine strainer back into pot and gently reheat
15. 15if the soup is too thick , add additional water
16. 16season with salt and pepper
17. 17place the yogurt in a small bowl
18. 18season with salt and pepper and stir well