Smooth and Creamy Peanut Squash Soup

This soup is our take on another recipe from the Peanut Butter Planet cookbook I've mentioned in the past.  The original recipe called for canned pumpkin.  I DO have a couple cans of pumpkin in my cupboard, but I also still have many, many winter squashes in the basement to eat so we did a little substitution for fresh squash instead.

Smooth and Creamy Peanut Squash Soup

1-2 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet pepper, chopped
1 hot chile, seeded and minced
1/2 pint tomato sauce
Many cups of squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed (I don't know how much...just use your best judgement)
4-6 C veg stock
1/4 t dried thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 C peanut butter (or more if you want.  The original recipe called for an astonishing 3/4 C!)

Heat the oil in a large pot.
Saute onion, peppers, and garlic until softened, about five minutes.
Stir in tomato sauce, squash, stock, and spices.  
Bring to a boil, then reduce and let simmer on low for 45 minutes until squash is cooked.
Stir in peanut butter and puree the whole pot with an immersion blender (or in small batches in a regular blender if you don't have one).
Adjust seasonings if desired and let simmer another 10 minutes.

We ate our soup with some pan-fried polenta "fingers" on the side for dipping! 

It was a very satisfying and yummy soup on a brisk winter day.  Not to mention a rather striking golden orange color.