Roasted Squash Soup with Almond Cream & Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Almond Cream Ingredients:

• 2 cups sliced almonds
• 3 tablespoons safflower oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Roasted Squash Soup Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread
• 1 cup diced white onion
• 1 cup chopped apple
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh rosemary
• 1/2 lemongrass stalk, split
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 3 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8 cups vegetable stock
• spiced pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds, hulled
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. To make the cream, the day before serving, put the almonds in a bowl and add enough water to cover them. Cover and let soak overnight in the refrigerator.

2. Drain the nuts and transfer to a blender. Add the oil, lemon juice, salt, and water and blend until smooth, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the chives, and set aside. The cream will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

3. To make the soup, heat the oil and buttery spread in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, apple, cinnamon, chipotle powder, sage, rosemary, lemongrass, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

4. Add the squash to the pot and stir to coat, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, bring to a boil, decrease the heat, and simmer, covered, until the squash is tender, about 40 minutes. Remove the lemongrass stalk and let the soup cool.

5. Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Or blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. This will have to be done in batches. The soup can be made ahead of time up to this point. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.

6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

7. To prepare the pumpkin seeds, combine the seeds, oil, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl and mix together. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast for 5 to 10 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the seeds are lightly browned.

8. To serve, pour the warm soup into bowls. Add a dollop of the almond cream and sprinkle with the roasted pumpkin seeds.