Prepare the squash: cut in half, remove the seeds, and sprinkle with a generous sprinkling of Mrs. Dash or salt and pepper. Bake at 350F for 1 hour. Let cool and scoop out the meat of the squash into a large bowl. Mash the squash, adding a splash or two of water if it's too thick.
In a large soup pot, saute the onion in a bit of olive oil, until soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and saute for an additional minute.
Add the ground beef and brown.
Add all ingredients to the soup pot and simmer for about an hour.
Salt to taste and add any additional herbs to taste. Simmer another 30 minutes.
I like to serve with a drizzle of heavy cream, but it's totally optional!
Notes
* I used 3 mini white pumpkins and 1 large grapefruit-sized kuri squash.