Roasted Carrot & Squash Soup #CutcoFallHarvest

Summer has finally loosened its hold on San Diego, allowing a hint of fall to envelop us each night. Not that I’m complaining. Yesterday afternoon found us at the Cardiff Beach tide pools, where we spotted sea anemones, a giant keyhole limpet and a dog bounding into the ocean, only to have his owners chastised by state park police. By the time we returned to the car we were chilled to the bone and craving warmth.

And warmth to me means soup.

Thanks to the Cutco Fall Harvest blogger challenge, I was all set. Late last month, I received a lovely care package in the mail from Cutco. Giddy with delight, I ripped open the box to discover a super sharp knife wrapped in its own sheath, a sturdy cutting board, an easy-to-hold vegetable peeler and a few other little goodies. I’d share a picture with you, but before I could find my camera, my husband had snapped up the knife and cutting board for a camping trip. Full discloure: I had to pry the knife away from him to test it out myself. (I have a feeling the knife and cutting board may have been tucked away again for his next trip, but we’ll see about that!)

I’m a little late getting into the challenge, thanks to a dislocated kneecap that kept me couch-bound for longer than I’d care to admit. But I’m on the mend and hobbling about the kitchen, back to my happy place.

I love, love LOVE chopping vegetables. I just finished reading Kathleen Flinn’s excellent The Kitchen Counter Cooking School, and loved the lesson she taught about properly using a knife. If you’ve got any hesitations about your knife skills, order a Cutco knife and Kathleen’s book and I swear, you’ll be an expert in no time.

The sharp blade of my new Cutco knife made fast work of chopping the butternut squash and carrots for this recipe. The vegetable peeler, which I handed to my little Gigi, worked flawlessly (and there’s no better way to get your kid into the kitchen than by giving her a sharp, but SAFE, kitchen utencil). Together we prepped the vegetables, then I popped them into the oven for some high heat roasting. After that, a quick whirl in my Vitamix with some (store-bought, sorry Kathleen!) chicken stock, and my early fall soup was ready to go.

You can find a variation of this recipe here. And be sure to check out Cutco’s range of knives and kitchen gadgets. Perfect for gift giving! (Because Christmas will be here before you know it.)

What would you chop with a Cutco knife?

Disclosure: I received a gift of kitchen gadgets from Cutco for this post but all opinions are enthusiastically my own. This post contains affiliate links meaning I may receive compensation if you use those links.

PS if you’ve been thinking of getting a Vitamix, check them out at Sur La Table with this code:

5 Days Only! Take 15% Off One Item with code SWEET14 at SurLaTable.com! Offer ends 10/27.