I love soup in the winter. More accurately, I love soups, casseroles, gratins, lasagnas and curries, or anything that represents a full meal in one pot. But soup is the staple, because soup is an ultra-sneaky way to get a grand slam of vegetables in at one meal without eating a salad. After all, lettuce is over 90% cold water - that's going to cool you down. Who wants to be cooled from the inside when it's 20 degrees out? Besides, salad is dangerous!

Unlike lettuce, however, winter vegetables like squash, sweet potatoes and onions make for great soups. My favorite soups are the pureed varieties, which typically require less chopping and prep work since everything's just going in the blender anyway. Even if it's coming out of tupperware, a velvety pureed vegetable soup can transform even an office-bound brown-bag lunch into a luxurious table desk for one. Add a piece of cheese and a piece of fruit, and you've got a lunch that will keep you satisfied until quittin' time.

This particular soup, with its autumn's-bounty hue, is packed with orange-veggie goodness. Roasting the vegetables together deepens and melds their flavors before they hit the stock pot. The instructions couldn't be easier: roast, boil, blend. That makes it easy to prep your lunch for the week while otherwise engaged in life. And it's also, hands-down, the silkiest soup I have ever eaten - the tiny half-cup of cream goes a long way.

Roasted Squash, Sweet Potato & Garlic Soup
Adapted from Soup Bowl

1 sweet potato, halved
1 acorn squash, halved, seeds scooped out
4 shallots, halved
6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 tbsp olive oil
1 quart (4 cups) chicken stock
1-2 slices stale bread
1/2 cup cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Brush the cut sides of the sweet potato, squash and shallots with the olive oil. Place cut side down on baking sheet or roasting pan. Add garlic cloves. Roast for 35-40 minutes, until tender and beginning to caramelize. Remove from oven and cool until able to handle.

Scoop the flesh from the potato and squash halves. Peel garlic. Combine all vegetables in a large saucepan with the stock and stale bread. Add a pinch of salt, bring just to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Puree in batches in a blender until completely smooth. If you must use a food processor instead, only process the solids and mix in the remaining liquid after the fact. Rinse out the pan and return the soup. Stir in the cream, season with salt and pepper and simmer gently for 5-10 minutes until heated through. Serve immediately, refrigerate or freeze - it all works!

Equally delicious out of tupperware at your desk.