Butternut Squash Soup

This was the first soup I ever made. Really, I'm not a very big soup person, so it has to be really good for me to want it. Since I had never made soup before, and every time my old boss made it, everyone loved it, I decided I wanted to give it a go. There are a lot of ways to add variety to this dish, so I'll first note how I make it, and then tell you how you can adjust it for yourself.

Ingredients: 1 butternut squash; peeled, seeded, and cut into small cubes
                     1/2 cup diced sweet onion
                     3/4 cup diced carrot
                     1 large, or 2-3 mid-sized garlic cloves, diced
                     1 small knob of butter (about 1/2 tsp)
                     Olive oil (about 3-4 tbsp)
                     3-4 cups vegetable stock
                     Salt, ground black pepper, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, to taste

Directions: Add butter, olive oil, and garlic to a large pot, and put under medium heat for about 20-30 seconds after butter melts. At this point, the smell of garlic will be much stronger.
                   Add onions, and sauté until tender. Add carrots and squash, followed by vegetable stock.
                   Bring soup to a boil, add seasonings (I usually start with about a teaspoon each), boil for thirty seconds, reduce heat, and simmer for about fifteen (15) minutes or until squash is tender.
                   Carefully add soup contents to a blender and puree. This should be done in batches, and may require a separate pot. Make sure the soup is thoroughly pureed, and place back over low heat.
                   Carefully taste soup and add more seasoning, as needed. Serve immediately with biscuits, croissants, garlic bread, or other bread.

Note: If your soup is not quite as thick as you would like it, you can add heavy cream to it after it has been blitzed. Be sure to add it over low heat, with constant stirring to allow the soup to thicken up.
         Many would not think cinnamon is a good seasoning for this soup, but I find that it adds a level of complexity to the flavour that is both interesting and delicious, as it gives a little bit of sweetness to the nutty hints of this very autumn-y soup.
         One very common variation is to roast the squash. Although I have not done this for this recipe, I have roasted vegetables for a soup, and it definitely changes the flavour. If you do this, cut the squash in fours (two halves for the stem and two halves for the bulb), and remove the seeds. Coat the flat (face-down) sides with olive oil. Roast in an oven preheated to 350F (about 180C) for 20-25 minutes, or until the flesh is tender and be scooped from the skin easily (Be sure to allow the squash to cool a bit so you don't burn yourself!). This can then be added to the soup at the appropriate step.
        This soup can be garnished with snipped chives if desired. Additionally, fresh ground black pepper can be used. We're too poor for a pepper mill right now, so we have the pre-ground stuff, but definitely use fresh-ground if you can -- it will enhance the flavour afforded by the spice.