Butternut Squash Soup

Here's a simple, healthy soup that tastes so creamy, you'd never know it was dairy free. It was originally adapted from Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis and  is a great first course to any fall or winter meal.

Ingredients:
1 Butternut Squash, peeled and cut into ~2 inch pieces (about 8 cups)
3 cups of carrots cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup of sage, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
6 cups of chicken stock
2 Tablespoons of Smart Balance
EVOO

1)     In a stockpot, add butter, 2 tablespoons of EVOO, onion and carrots and cook over medium high heat until veggies are soft – about 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook another 30 seconds.

2)     Add the squash, chicken stock and sage. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are soft.  Turn off heat.

3)     Use an immersion blender and blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Note: if you don’t have an immersion blender, wait until the mixture has cooled down and blend in a food processor in batches.

4) Ladle into bowls and enjoy.