from Veganyumyum.com
Serves 4 large bowls, 6-8 Cups

Note: Several of our (carnivorous) Professional Foodies frequent Veganyumyum.com for cooking ideas. If vegan cuisine is not your thing, no worries. Just substitute chicken stock in the recipe below. But if you're feeling adventurous, follow the recipe; it's delicious!

3 Pounds Squash, (2 pounds after prepping)
Oil for roasting
4 Cups Kitchen Basics Vegetable Broth
1 teas. Thyme
Lots of Black Pepper
1 1/2 tsp Salt, more or less to taste

Cashew Cream:
1 Cup Raw, Unsalted Cashews
1 Cup Kitchen Basics Vegetable Broth, divided

Preheat oven to 400º F. Peel squash and chop off the ends. Halve the squash and scrape out the seeds. Place on a baking sheet cut-side down and brush lightly with oil.  Bake for 30-40 minutes until tender and beginning to brown. Flip squash before the baking is finished if needed to prevent burning.

Meanwhile, add the cashews to your blender and 1/2 cup of veggie broth. Begin pulsing to incorporate, eventually turning the blender all the way on while slowly adding the other 1/2 cup of broth. Once all the broth is added (1 cup total), let the blender run for 1-2 minutes until very, very smooth. Set cream aside. If your blender can’t get the cream completely smooth, strain before adding it to the soup.

Remove squash from the oven. Using a spatula, transfer it into a large soup pot. Break up the squash into chunks with a spoon or your spatula and add 4 cups of veggie broth, thyme, and black pepper. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes, covered. Working in batches if needed, blend the soup until very smooth, being careful not to overfill your blender.

Return the blended soup to the pot and add all but 1/4 cup of the cashew cream. Season with salt and more pepper. Remove soup to bowls and garnish with extra cashew cream drizzled on the top and some fresh black pepper.