VEGGIES: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. On a very large sheet pan, add the cubed and peeled butternut squash and onion chunks. Peel and discard the outer layers of the entire garlic bulb, making sure to leave the skins of the individual cloves intact (and keep the bulb together as much as possible) Using a sharp knife, cut 1/4th an inch from the top of the cloves. Wrap the entire bulb tightly with foil, adding 1 teaspoon olive oil before sealing it completely. Place the wrapped garlic on the sheet pan along with the squash and onions. Drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons oil over everything else (yes it's a lot of oil!). Season with salt and pepper to taste (I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Toss and bake for 15 minutes. Remove, toss, and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Set aside the foil pack of garlic.
STOCKPOT: Meanwhile, place butter to a large stock pot or soup kettle and melt over medium heat. Add ground nutmeg, cloves, and curry powder. Stir for 1 minute or until fragrant. Transfer the squash, onions, and all the oil leftover on the tray into the pot. Stir to coat the squash in seasonings and butter. Add chicken stock. Cook for 5 minutes over medium high heat. Carefully transfer everything to a large high-powered blender (process in batches, if needed). Add 2-3 cloves of the cooked garlic (more or less, depending on how much you love garlic; I add 3 cloves.). Secure the lid on the blender and carefully blend (if you have Blendtec, blend on soup setting). Avoid too much power or pulsing as it could explode out of the blender. Once very smooth, transfer back to the stock pot and set at medium heat.
FINISHING TOUCHES: Add in maple syrup and heavy cream (see Note 3). Stir to combine and warm through. Season to taste with salt and pepper again; I add another 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, but add to preference. Ladle into bowls and garnish with toasted and salted pepita seeds.
Video
Notes
Note 1: If you buy the pre-cut squash that comes in 16 ounce bags, you'll need 1 and 1/2 bags.Note 2: Use an onion (or you may need 2) around 14 ounces in size.Note 3: Non-dairy and vegetarian/vegan variations:
Butternut Squash Soup with coconut milk: You can replace the heavy cream with coconut milk in this soup to make a dairy-free alternative. The flavor is a bit different, and perhaps not quite as thick, but it's still delicious!
Vegan Butternut Squash Soup: Replace heavy cream with coconut milk and chicken stock with vegetable stock.
Vegetarian Butternut Squash Soup: Replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock.