Harvest Soup

You'll need:

• 1/2 cup of yellow onions
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 medium size butternut squash
• 1 cup of carrots ­ cut in big chunks
• 4 cups of chicken stock ­ heated
• 1/2 teaspoons of dry rosemary
• 1/4 cup of smoked almonds ­ coarsely chopped

Equipment:

• A soup pot
• A blender or food processor
• A slotted spoon
• A ladle
• A measuring cup with a spout

1. You'll definitely need some help skinning and cutting the butternut squash into
   1-inch chunks. Fresh squash is not squashy at all. In fact, it's really hard, like a carrot.
2. Put the onions into the soup pot with a little bit of olive oil, and sauté the onions over medium heat until translucent, that means you can almost see through them. It should take you about two or three minutes to do this.
3. Add the squash, carrots and rosemary. Pour the warm chicken stock over the vegetables, and simmer over medium-low heat. Warming the stock will give the soup a head-start. This could be important if you're trying to get the soup to the dinner table first!
4. When the squash is soft, set some hot pads on the counter and ask Mom or your grown-up helper to move the hot soup pot. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked veggies to the food processor. Add a little broth in with the veggies. If you're using a blender you might have to make two batches.
5. Purée the vegetables, which means you will "process" them until they are smooth and have no more lumps. You can slowly add more broth until the soup is the right texture, not too thick and not too thin - just right.
6. Carefully pour or ladle the nice thick soup into soup bowls. Sprinkle with the chopped smoked almonds and serve immediately.