soup from scratch: pumpkin & squash soup

Fall is finally making its way to New England, so I made my first-ever soup to celebrate, and I won't lie - it was great. 

I consulted quite a few different recipes and then decided to make up my own based on what I had in the house (aside from the pumpkin and squash, which I had to buy - I don't typically have those just laying around in the kitchen). Let me know if you decide to try my recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 small sugar pumpkin
1 small butternut squash
3 carrots
1 apple
4 cloves fresh garlic
4 stalks celery
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
dash of all spice
1/2 cup brown sugar

Serves 8

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the pumpkin and squash into small chunks (about 1-2"), scooping out all of the insides. (You can keep the skin on for the chunks or cut it off- I kept it on because it's easier to take off later.) Peel carrots and chop into small chunks. 

Place pumpkin, squash, and carrot chunks on a cookie sheet. Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until you can easily stick a fork in them.

Note: I had to put the carrot chunks on another cookie sheet, so they aren't pictured here.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a soup pan with garlic gloves and chopped celery until celery is translucent. Skin, core, and chop an apple into small chunks. Add apple chunks to the soup pan. Add 5 cups water and simmer.

Skin the pumpkin and squash chunks when they are ready, and add to soup pan. Add carrots. Add black pepper, salt, nutmeg, and a dash of all spice, as well as brown sugar. (Add less black pepper if you don't want it to be spicy. My soup came out with a little kick to it.) Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Using a hand blender, puree the mixture. Continue to simmer. Add more salt, pepper, or nutmeg to taste.

Top with 1 tablespoon cream and serve.