*To toast the pepitas, place a pan over medium-high heat without oil, add pepitas. Shake the pan occasionally until the pepitas puff up and turn mostly golden brown (about 3-4 minutes), then pour them onto a plate to cool, as they may burn if left in the hot pan. If you want to add salt, I recommend adding a little bit of oil to help the salt adhere to the seed.

*If you want to add fried sage leaves as a garnish, heat extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet. Fry sage leaves in a single layer until crisp (about 30-45 seconds), turning occasionally with a slotted spoon or tongs. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and sprinkle with salt.

No blender, no problem. You can use an immersion blender to make the soup. Instead of adding the roasted vegetables and broth to a blender in step 5, place the ingredients in a pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Then, use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. It won't be as silky as using a blender, but it will still taste great. Finally, stir in the coconut milk and warm through for a few more minutes.

You can skip the coconut milk if you're counting calories - your soup will still be delicious. However, coconut milk adds a creamy, subtle, sweet, nutty flavor that complements the butternut squash and carrots - use less if you want.  Alternatively, you can use cashew cream or a thick plant-based milk like oat milk. If you use coconut cream, you will have a more concentrated coconut flavor and thicker soup.

Nutritional information is only an estimate.