It seems like right around this time of the year I am eating nothing but winter squashes. I shared a pumpkin pasta recipe for Thanksgiving. I made this mashed butternut squash earlier. But I am not complaining.

Winter squashes are abundant, inexpensive and delicious. They also have an incredibly long shelf life, lasting for weeks when stored in the pantry. I always have a couple of them on hand for last-minute sides and soups.

This warm and thick soup is perfect for cold weather. I bet you already have most of the ingredients. The butternut squash and carrot are sweet. The onion and garlic add depth. A pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon enhances all of the flavors and blends everything together.

For how great it tastes, this soup comes together really quickly. You chop all the ingredients, saute them, cook them down and blend.

A blender is the trick to making a thick and luxurious soup in a flash. (Okay, the splash of cream at the end doesn’t hurt either.) An immersion blender will make this recipe a bit easier, but a stand blender will work too. Just make sure you don’t over fill the blender, so hot soup doesn’t splatter everywhere.

I hope this recipe will inspire you to pick up a couple of winter squashes next time you are at the market. They are the basis for this season’s most delicious dishes, including this warm and cozy soup.

Butternut Squash Soup

• Olive oil, 2 tablespoons
• Onion, 1 medium, diced
• Garlic, 3 cloves, minced
• Carrot, peeled and diced
• Chicken or vegetable stock, 4 cups
• Butternut squash, 1 medium, about two pounds, peeled, seeded and diced into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• Nutmeg, 1 pinch
• Cinnamon, 1 pinch
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• Heavy whipping cream, for garnish

Heat olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and cook for about five minutes. Pour in stock and add butternut squash. Turn up the stove and bring the soup to a boil. Turn down the stove, put a lid on the pot and simmer until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat. If you own an immersion blender, use it to blend the soup until smooth. If you need to use a stand blender, spoon a portion of the soup into the blender and blend until smooth. Pour the blended soup into a large bowl and repeat with the rest. Be careful not to overfill your blender, or the lid will pop off and hot soup will splatter when you blend.

To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls and drizzle some heavy cream on top.

Serves 6.