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1
Preheat oven to 350.
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2
Cut each squash in half length wise and remove seeds.
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3
Place squash flesh side down on a greased cookie sheet.
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4
Bake for 45-60 minutes or until skin side is brown and bubbly and flesh side is golden brown.
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5
While squash is roasting, peel and cube onion, chop celery, peel and halve garlic cloves, and peel and chop carrots.
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6
(It doesn't really matter how big you make everything, because it gets blended later.
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7
The only thing to keep in mind is the bigger the pieces, the longer it takes to get cook.
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8
).
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9
Melt the butter in a large stock pot.
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10
Add the onion, celery, and garlic.
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11
Cook until everything is beginning to get soft and has a little color.
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12
Add stock and bring to a boil.
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13
Add carrots.
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14
Reduce heat and simmer until carrots begin to soften.
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15
At this point, you have 2 options.
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16
The chicken can be blended along with everything else (sounds a little weird, but I promise it is delicious), or you can add the chicken after blending.
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17
If you are going to blend the chicken: Cube it (again size isn't a huge issue for this option) and add it to the simmering pot.
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18
Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are soft.
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19
Take squash out of oven and let cool until you can handle it.
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20
Using a spoon, scoop the cooked flesh out of the skin.
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21
Add it to the simmering pot.
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22
Simmer until the squash has broken down.
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23
Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
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24
In small batches, blend soup until smooth.
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25
(Because you are blending something hot, you will want to take the center out of the lid of your blender to vent it.
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26
Cover the hole by holding a folded up kitchen towel over it.)
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27
Once you've got all of it blended, put the blended soup back in the pot.
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28
If you didn't blend the chicken, this is where you would cube it small and add it in, simmering until it's cooked through.
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29
Add salt and pepper to taste.
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30
At this point, I add brown sugar, but you don't have to.
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31
Also, you can add whipping cream, but I find it's creamy enough without it and I don't miss it.
