Super Sundried Tomato Squash Soup with Snaps to Nigella Lawson

I like to make sure Carl eats well. Despite how 1950s that idea sounds, I have not defected from the divine sisterhood of third-wave feminists, of which I am a lifetime member. To borrow loosely from Gail Godwin's vocational musings in her novel Evensong, cooking makes more of me (no pun intended). We should all enjoy what makes more of us.

On Sundays, I usually serve leftovers to save time, but last night's dinner of chickpeas and arugula simmered in cumin seeds, olive oil, and cream sherry was so fantastic that I had to begin from scratch today.

Btw: I thank my cousin Gail, a nutritionist, for teaching me how to make Sundried Tomato Squash Soup when she visited during Mardi Gras 2008. Thanks also go to my shero Nigella Lawson for the delish salad recipe.

What you need for Sundried Tomato Squash Soup:
1 butternut squash
1/2 8.5 oz. jar of sundried tomatoes in oil, rinsed and drained
1/2 white onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
pinch of nutmeg
1 tbsp olive oil
6 cups water
2 cubes low sodium vegan boullion cubes (I used Rapunzel)

What to do:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Halve the butternut squash and scoop out seeds. (You may save them to roast for a snack.) Brush the squash halves lightly with olive oil and place skin side down on a cookie tray. Roast for an hour.

In the meantime, saute the onion and garlic in a stock pot. Add water and boullion, bring to a boil and let simmer for 30 minutes. Then add sundried tomatoes. Simmer until the squash has finished cooking, then allow the broth and squash to cool for another half hour.

Remove skins from squash with a vegetable peeler. Cube squash and add everything to the pot. Use an immersion blender to puree. If you do not have an immersion blender, transfer half the soup to a standard blender and puree in batches. (Times like these definitely make me wish we owned an immersion blender.) Transfer the soup to a heatproof bowl as you blend. Once finished, return the soup to the pot and add spices. Simmer until ready to serve.