Thanksgiving in a bowl

Roasted butternut squash soup aka “Thanksgiving in a bowl”:

8 cups homemade turkey stock*
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2 large celery stalks, finely minced
1 medium onion, finely minced
1 tsp fresh sage, finely minced, plus extra whole leaves for garnish
1 tbsp chopped turkey
roasted pieces from one large and one medium butternut squash**

Melt butter and oil in a large stockpot. Add celery, onion and fresh sage. Saute over medium high heat until onion turns translucent; about 10 minutes. Add squash pieces and chopped turkey, mixing to thoroughly coat with onion/celery/sage mixture. Add stock and bring to a gentle boil, then simmer about 30-45 minutes. In batches, puree everything in the blender to make a smooth, creamy-looking soup. Return to pot and let rest for several hours, if possible (the flavors blend best this way). Reheat when ready to serve.

Garnish with homemade croutons and deep fried sage (you can throw whole leaves into some oil, preferably an olive oil/sunflower oil combination). Remove each leaf after about a minute and drain on waxed paper.

*(see http://dirtandsunshine.posterous.com/it-all-starts-with-homemade-stock)

** cut each squash into eighths, brush with olive oil and roast at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes