Fall Squash Soup

1. Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat until just bubbling and beginning to smell nutty, 1 to 3 minutes. Add onion, celery, and carrot; cook until onion is soft and translucent, another 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic directly to the bottom of the pot and cook for about 1 minute before stirring; be careful to prevent burning. Add chicken stock, butternut squash, turnip, and sweet potato and bring to a boil. Cover pot and simmer soup until sweet potato is fork tender, about 40 minutes.

2. Puree soup using a stick blender to desired consistency. Season to taste with cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper.

Cook's Notes:

To easily peel the squash, first cut a small piece off of each end. Set the large end flat on a cutting board, and use a potato peeler to peel downward from the top in long strokes. Once peeled, cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds with a spoon.

For more control over the chunkiness of the soup, puree part of it in a stand blender instead of using a stick blender.