While in Whole Foods the other day, I was intrigued by their selection of fall squash.  I picked up a carnival squash (which I had no idea what it was but it was so pretty I bought it), roasted in the oven with a little brown sugar and butter (like I've done with acorn squash in the past) and had with grilled chicken—delicious!

I also picked up a butternut squash—Not the most attractive squash in the bunch. Beige colored and shaped like a large vase, this is not the squash you want to decorate your table with!

I decided to make a soup out of it and it ended up being rich, a little bit spicy and perfect for a cool fall night.

Butternut Squash Soup 2 tablespoons butter 1 small onion, chopped 1 piece (2 inches) fresh ginger, peeled and grated 3 garlic cloves, chopped a 2-3 pound butternut squash 1 Tbs. olive oil 1 1/2 tsp. Tamarind spice 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 2 cups vegetable stock 2 cups low sodium chicken stock 1/2 cup apple juice Coarse salt 1/2 cup heavy cream Sour cream, (optional) Squash seeds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice squash to halve lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Save seeds to toast for garnish. Place butternut squash halves on a large baking sheet flesh side up. Drizzle tops of squash with olive oil and salt. Roast for 30-45 minutes, until fork-tender. Let cool. Scoop squash out of rind with a spoon and set aside.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, squash, Tamarind powder and cayenne; cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in vegetable and chicken stock. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer about 10 minutes.

Puree soup with an immersion blender until smooth (or in a blender in two batches). Stir in apple juice and heavy cream. Serve hot, with sour cream, pepper, and toasted squash seeds, if desired.

Up next? Spaghetti squash!