Curried Butternut Squash Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
½ large or 1 small yellow Spanish onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp chopped fresh ginger
½ to 1 whole jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp each fresh ground sea salt and black pepper
1 tsp each cardamom seeds, fennel, cumin and cinnamon
2 tbsp vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups cubed, cooked butternut squash (I use frozen organic)
2 cups frozen organic cauliflower

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, all spices and 2 tbsp soup stalk. Mix ingredients together and cook over medium-low heat for 5-10minutes, or until onions are soft. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. In batches of 2 cups at a time, puree soup in a blender. Return puree to pot and heat through. Optional: top each bowl with a sprinkle of fresh chopped mint and 1 tbsp chopped cashews.

Number of Servings: 4

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user LISACIANFRINI.