• Preheat oven to 400 F
• Peel, deseed, and dice the butternut squash.
• In a bowl, coat the butternut squash in about a tablespoon of olive oil. Place on a baking tray.
• Roast for 40-50 minutes, until tender.
• In a medium sauce pan, sauté onion in a little olive oil (or water) until translucent. Add the minced garlic, sauté another minute or so.
• Next add the vegetable stock, carrot, cashews, sage, salt, crushed red pepper or cayenne, and a bay leaf.
• Bring to a boil, let simmer for a few minutes until the carrots are tender (5 min).
• Remove the bay leaf.
• Pour into a blender, and blend until smooth (2-3 min).
• Add the roasted butternut squash and blend again.
• Pour the soup back into the sauce pan, and let simmer for a couple of minutes. It is now ready to serve.

Garnish:

• Garnish with roasted pine nuts.  (Roast in a skillet for a few minutes on medium heat, while stirring)
• Fresh sage
• Butternut squash chips. (slice very thin using a mandolin, rub with a little olive oil, salt, and herb de provence, roast at 375F until crisps)
• Cashew cream (soak 2 T cashews overnight, drain, blend with 1/2 cup water in the blender for 2-3 min.) 
• Or you can use Coconut milk (full fat)