While you're frying up some eggs and bacon, we're cooking up something else: a way to celebrate today's food holiday.

Can you smell the excitement stirring? January is National Soup Month.

The cold weather that seems to grip most of the country at this time of year has a way of seeping into your bones to the point where nothing seems to help. And as the winter months wear on, and resolutions are made and broken, it gets harder and harder to find something that’s both warm and nutritious and easy to make. Fear not! I have the perfect solution: soup.

I used to think soup was something that took all day to make (and sure some of them do), but thanks to the invention of crock pots and a few tricks, a big bowl of bone-warming soup can be waiting on you when you get home from work.

Don’t have a crock pot? Don’t worry, there’s still soup for you. Try this easy butternut squash soup recipe I’ve been tweaking for a few months. Because it’s a ‘quick’ soup, the flavor develops in roasting the squash, so don’t skip that step by boiling.

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

One large butternut squash, halved with the skin on, seeds removed

Seasoning blend (I use curry powder, chipotle pepper powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. If you don’t like those, add what you do. Squash loves curry flavors but won’t be overwhelmed by them.)

Olive oil

Chicken stock (how much will depend on how thick you like your soup)

Sour cream (how much will depend on how creamy you like your soup, I usually do two tablespoons)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375.

Brush the squash with olive oil and season with the seasoning blend

Place the squash cut side up on a baking sheet and roast until the flesh is fork tender.

Remove squash from oven and allow to cool.

When you’re able to handle the squash, remove the flesh from the skin with a spoon and place it in a large soup pot or Dutch oven.

Add chicken stock and sour cream.

Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until there are no more lumps. Add more chicken stock, sour cream or both to smooth it out.

Let soup simmer away for 10-15 minutes so the flavors can combine and taste for seasoning. The soup will thicken up the longer you cook it for, you can thin it down again with more stock or water right before you serve it.

Serve with an extra dollop of sour cream or my new kick, honey goat cheese.

A good crusty whole wheat bread goes great with this if you want to make the meal more filling.

Previously - Everything you ever wanted to know about cooking squash and How to roast butternut squash