Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sage Croutons

Since Spring just can't decide if it's time to arrive in this part of the world or not, I've taken advantage of the wet, cold, totally-un-spring-y weather, and have been making soup. Lots of warm soup. You'd think it was winter or something.

Anyhow, this soup is my favorite butternut squash soup I've tried. I've made variations - some with apples, others with mascarpone cheese, and a few with curry. But this simple version I'm sharing today brings out the flavor of the butternut just perfectly so that it is the star. No distractions here - just sweet, earthy squash - accentuated by a touch of sage and a little garlic. Sage is a natural companion to butternut squash, to which pairing I am partial. It's one of my favorite fall flavor combinations. (Ahem... fall? I know, it's May, right?)

So if your neck of the woods is experiencing a delightful sun-shiny springtime, maybe bookmark this soup for use in a few months, and be looking forward to it!

Notes: I made just a few changes to the recipe - adding a little more garlic and adjusting the roasting method a little. The sage croutons are wonderful, by the way. They add a pleasant crunch. If you are running short on time, you can leave them off, but just plan to make them the next time around - you'll be glad you did.

Adapted from Cooking After Five