Instructions

1. Pre Heat oven to 400F.
2. Place 1 cup of cashews in a bowl, submerge with water, add a pinch of salt. Set aside.
3. Halve your butternut lengthwise, then use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Lay them flat side down on the cutting board, halve again, then dice. Place all your diced squash on a sheet pan (or two). Drizzle with 1 teaspoon salt and oil. Toss to thoroughly coat. Spread out evenly over sheet pan.
4. Place the sheet pan or two in the oven. Roast for 45 minutes. When they are done the squash should be soft, golden and browned in parts.
5. While the squash roasts prepare your soup base and cream. Heat a large stock pot on medium heat on the stove. Drizzle in the oil.
6. Dice the onion, add it into the pot with the bay leaves, thyme sprigs, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Saute on medium heat, stirring often until tender, about ten minutes.
7. Add in the broth, lower the heat. Let it hang out until the squash is done. When the squash is done, bring the heat up to medium high. Let it come to a simmer.
8. Carefully add in the roasted squash. Let it simmer for a while (twenty minutes). If the broth won’t cover all the squash, then add in the water.

Make the cream

1. Drain and rinse cashews.
2. Add them to a blender with the rest of the ingredients.
3. Blend until smooth, use prod to keep to keep it moving.
4. It will be very thick, I have a Vitamix, if you’re blender isn’t making it smooth, add in a little water to help move it along.
5. Once it’s perfectly smooth, taste it, adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Continue with the Soup

1. To blend your soup you can just insert a big immersion blender into your pot and let her rip until the soup it totally smooth. Or, like me, CAREFULLY use a measuring cup to carefully transfer the soup to your blender in batches and blend until silky smooth. Because I have a high powered blender I blended up the thyme sprigs and all. But you can always fish them out if your blender won’t pulverize them.
2. Note: I do not peel my squash. Between the roasting and simmering, the skin will be tender enough to blend and I love the flavor it adds!
3. Once all your soup is totally smooth, mix it all up well to blend the thicker and thinner batches.
4. Serve your soup in bowls, add a dollop of cream on top and use the spoon to swirl it in. Sprinkle with extra minced parsley.
5. Enjoy!!