Winter Squash Soup with Lemongrass

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper

Roast the squash until it's soft and a bit brown - about 45 minutes

Let the squash cool a bit and scoop all that lovely, silky flesh out with a spoon (you can do this ahead of time and refrigerate the squash until you're ready to make the soup)

Grab your lemongrass, cut the ends off and give it a smash with a hammer or large pan - good way to deal with any unresolved issues!

Sauté the chopped onion in a tablespoon of olive oil until soft and translucent - about 5 minutes

Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds

Add the cooked squash and enough broth to cover it by about an inch - likely between 2 and 3 cups

Add the lemongrass stalk, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes

Grab some coconut milk. My favorite is Arroy-D (found at my local Asian market). They even have super cute, tiny (5oz) cans that are perfect for this soup

Remove the lemongrass and grab your handy dandy immersion blender (or throw the whole lot into a blender) and whiz away

Blend until the soup is as smooth as you like. (I like it to have a bit of texture) and add the coconut milk

Simmer for another 10 minutes or so, taste and adjust the seasonings - it's likely to need some salt

Serve with a generous helping of cilantro (unless, of course, it tastes like soap to you) and enjoy!