Butternut and acorn squash soup

We eat a lot of soup during the winter -- a big pot is great for lunches throughout the week -- and this particular recipe is also really good for you!  Enjoy...

• Ingredients
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• 1 butternut squash, halved and seeded
• 1 acorn squash, halved and seeded
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1 quart vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 or 4 ounces neuftachel cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Other spices (to taste): cinnamon, cumin, curry, cayenne pepper, ginger
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• Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the squash halves cut side down in a baking dish. Bake 45 - 60 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, and cool slightly. Scoop the pulp from the skins. Discard skins.
2. Melt the butter in a large (5-6 quart) pot over medium heat, and saute the onion until tender.
3. Add the squash, cream cheese, brown sugar, broth, and spices to the pot.  Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.  (If you don't have an immersion blender, you can blend the soup in batches in a blender or food processor.)
4. Taste the soup and add more brown sugar or spices as necessary.  Cook the soup over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.

I like a relatively spicy soup that is not too sweet, but feel free to add more brown sugar if you like a sweeter soup.  I use a combination of  cayenne pepper and some curry and ginger, but experiment with the spices listed above to find out what taste you prefer.

Serve warm with crusty bread and a leafy green salad with blue cheese crumbles, toasted pecans, and dried cranberries or cherries.