Savor Fall with Curry Sage Butternut Squash Soup

Los Angeles is famous for its Indian summers. September and October have actually become my least favorite months because when the rest of the country is eating pumpkin and wearing sweaters, Los Angeles is usually experiencing some sort of dreadful heat wave.

I crave the changing of seasons, the falling trees and the cool air. And often times, I feel like I'm the only person in Los Angeles who rejoices when the weather forecast reads "a chance of rain." Yesterday was a pitch perfect day: it was chilly, rainy and cloudy. I of course celebrated by putting on socks and making a big pot of soup.

This soup is one of my go-tos. The base of this soup is creamy, light, sweet and nutty. I've made it several times with no spices and with the addition of Gruyere-covered croutons and called it dinner. This version slightly different with the addition of a few of my favorite spices: cumin, coriander and curry powder. They work so well with the sweet butternut squash. For some fun added texture, I topped the soup off with a few toasted butternut squash seeds and crispy fried sage leaves. Another thing I love about this soup is that it can easily be vegan by simply leaving out the heavy cream--it'll still be creamy and delicious without it.