Rich, creamy roasted butternut squash soup

Does anybody else feel like winter just snuck up on them without any time to transition at all? One day, I'm sweating to the oldies (that would be 80s music, to clarify) on a run around the neighborhood, and the next day I'm searching through a bin of hats and gloves to find accessories to keep me from freezing  through like last year's leftovers (what, you don't freeze leftovers?).

It's not that I'm not ok with the changing seasons -- I am. In fact, as you well know, I consider soups and pumpkin to be the holy grail that may or may not be able to actually accomplish world peace. No, what I'm not sure about here is just how quickly this came about. A gentle introduction to not seeing daylight after work hours would be a start.

Since there's not much I can do about it (other than dream of warm, tropical vacations on sunny beaches), I suppose the old adage rules: If you can't beat it, join it. And so, in a true change of direction from normal, I made soup.

To be fair, I made this soup before San Francisco. And I was planning on writing about it that week. But then I got distracted by these sunsets:

And this parade to celebrate the World Series win of the San Francisco Giants:

And this view from Sausalito (if you quint really hard, you can see the San Francsico skyline across the water)

And this road sign (one day, I will claim this was named after me):

Not to mention, all of the wonderful people who I shared countless afternoons and evenings with sipping coffee, strolling around, testing local wines, and eating fabulous meals. Alison, Kristin, Amy, and Anna, thanks for being such wonderful hosts and company during my trip!

Time to give this soup its moment in the spotlight. This recipe is fast and simple, but it gives you a soup that tastes anything but. A little bit of cream goes a long way here, making this soup taste luxurious and filling. Since the soup makes at least 6 servings, you'll get to enjoy the soup time and again!

How pretty are these?

Aromatics, anyone?

Rich, creamy roasted butternut squash soup
Adapted from New York Times

Ingredients:
4 pounds butternut squash (one medium-sized one was plenty)

Drizzle of olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small red or yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
Crumbled bacon for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Using a large, heavy knife, split the squash in half and scrape out the seeds and discard them. Place the squash halves on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast until very tender, about 1 hour. Use a spoon to scrape out the flesh; set aside, discarding the skin.

2. In a large pot set over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion just turns translucent, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the stock and squash and cook, uncovered, for 25 minutes. (If using a food processor, allow to cool; if using an immersion blender, proceed while soup is still warm).

3. Use an immersion blender or food processor (in batches). If you used a food processor, reheat the soup. Stir in the milk and cream, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve garnished with crispy bacon crumbles.