South African Roasted Squash and Banana Soup

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds butternut squash (peeled, diced)
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar (drak brown molasses sugar if available)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 banana (unpeeled-ripe)
• ¹⁄₂ Onion (chopped)
• 1 Carrot (peeled-chopped)
• 1 stalk Celery (chopped)
• 1 Garlic Clove(chopped)
• 1 teaspoon Lemon Curry Powder (medium hot)
• ¹⁄₂teaspoon  ground coriander
• ¹⁄₄teaspoon nutmeg
• ¹⁄₄teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup  coconut milk
• 1 cup  chicken broth
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• cilantro(optional garnish)
• pumpkin seeds (optional garnish)
• oil (pumpkin oil -optional garnish)
• 1 cup of chopped, toasted pecans
• 4 cups of cooked white beans

Directions:

1. Sprinkle diced squash with brown sugar, honey and 2 T. butter, roast at 350 oven until caramelized and soft to the touch (about 20 min.), roast unpeeled banana in the same oven at the same time.
2. Melt the other 2 T. butter in a large saucepan on medium-low heat, sweat onion, celery and carrot a few minutes; add garlic, curry powder, corinader, nutmeg and cinnamon, cook slowly for a few more minutes.
3. Remove banana from its skin, slice and add it and butternt (and it’s juices) to saucepan; sitr in coconut milk and broth; simmer until hot; remove from heat, ladle soup into blender in small batches, blend until smooth, adjust consistency with more broth if desired.
4. Add cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper to taste, blend again.
5. Return soup to the saucepan and cook to reheat.
6. Pour into bowls, garnish with pumpkin seeds,cilantro and a drizzle of pumpkin oil if desired.