Roasted vegetables are simply so much more flavorful than those cooked using other methods.

Sweet potatoes can be used instead of yellow potatoes, and other gourds can be used as well. Find the combination that you like!

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash
• 1 small sugar pie pumpkin or acorn squash
• 2 yellow or vidalia onions
• 2 carrots
• 2 yellow potatoes (or 1 sweet potato)
• 1 can of chickpeas
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 6 cups water or vegetable/chicken stock
• 1 tsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tsp. rosemary
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 foot square of aluminum foil

Directions 

Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C.

Wash and peel butternut squash, then cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds with a spoon. Cube the squash into 2 inch chunks.

Wash pumpkin or acorn squash and cut in half and scoop out seeds.

Cube onions, carrots, and potatoes into 1-2 inch pieces.

Put butternut squash, pumpkin/acorn squash, onions, carrots, and potatoes on a large sheet pan. Pour olive oil, salt and pepper on vegetables and toss until evenly coated. If vegetables are very crowded, split among 2 sheet pans. Place cloves of garlic with peels still on in a sheet of aluminum foil, top with 1/2 tsp. olive oil, and wrap the foil up tightly. Add to the pan.

Bake vegetables for 45 minutes. They do not all have to be cooked evenly because they will cook further.

Allow vegetables to cook slightly, and then scoop out pumpkin/acorn squash from skin into a large pot. Open foil with garlic, remove peels, and add the cloves to the pot. Add all remaining vegetables to the pot, along with water or stock. Add can of chickpeas (without liquid). Put the pot on a burner on medium-high heat and add tomato paste, turmeric, rosemary, red pepper flakes, thyme, and cinnamon and cook for about 25 minutes.

Remove from heat and with a handheld immersion blender, blend until about half of the ingredients have been blended, leaving some chunks (of course, you can blend until the entire soup is smooth if preferred). Taste and add salt and other seasoning to your liking.

Like all soups, this will taste even better the next day. Enjoy!