Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice the butternut squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds and stringy pieces. Rinse and reserve the seeds.

Rub the cut sides of the squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place squash cut side down on a baking dish or cookie sheet and place in oven. Bake squash until it's tender and fragrant, and the skin is wrinkled (30-40 minutes). Let cool.

While the squash is roasting, sauté the onion in the 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan. Add the cumin and the aji panca paste and cook onions until soft and translucent.

Scrape the cooked squash flesh from its skin and place roasted squash (without skin) into a blender or food processor. Add the cooked onions and 1 1/2 cups chicken stock. Purée until smooth. Transfer the puréed squash to the saucepan and heat gently, adding more chicken stock if necessary to thin soup.

While the soup is heating, add the seeds to a small skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toast, stirring frequently, until seeds are golden brown and popping. Sprinkle seeds generously with coarse salt, and spread on a paper towel to cool.

Taste soup for seasoning. Add a little milk or cream if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve soup warm, garnished with a dollop of sour cream and toasted seeds. Serves 4-6