Butternut Squash Soup

This recipe comes straight from Emeril on the Food Network website. I pretty much stick to the original recipe on this one. I start craving this soup once fall arrives, and it never fails me. I made it a month or so ago, but it's taken me while to get around to posting.

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash, about 2 lbs.
• 2 Tbsp peanut oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1-1/2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrot
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp finely minced jalapeno pepper
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Cut the squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Peel the squash, and cut it into 1-inch pieces. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute and then add squash, jalapeno pepper, and veggie stock (okay, Emeril calls for chicken stock). Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat and puree the soup using an immersion blender (I LOVE my immersion blender) or transfer to a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Return to the heat; add the cream and adjust the seasonings. He calls for topping it off with a shrimp salsa here, but I skip that. Yum!