Butternut Squash Soup

Servings: 4 -6

Cooking time: 30 minutes

What you’ll need

Large heavy based saucepan

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, about 1kg, peeled and deseeded.               
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 sticks celery, chopped
• 1 medium potato peeled and cut in cubes
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 850ml of water
• 3 tbsp coconut milk
• 1 red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
2. Cut, peel and de-seed a large butternut squash into large cubes, about 4cm/1½in across, then toss in a large roasting tin with 1tbsp of the olive oil. Roast for about 30 mins, turning once during cooking, until golden and soft.
3. While the butternut squash cooks, melt 1tbsp butter with the remaining 1tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan, then add the diced onion, celery, potato, 1 tsp turmeric, minced ginger (if using), garlic and red chillies if using.  Cover and cook on a very low heat for 15-20 mins until the onions are completely soft.
4. Add the water and coconut milk and bring to the boil and then gently simmer until the potatoes are almost soft.
5. Add the cooked butternut squash and continue to simmer for about 5 – 10 minutes more.
6. Then whizz with a stick blender until smooth. For a really silky soup, put the soup into a liquidiser and blitz it in batches. Return to the pan, gently reheat, then season to taste.
7. Serve the soup in warm bowls with a little crème fraîche of you like.

Notes

Look out for onion squash ( shaped like an onion ) with deep orange flesh and Crown Prince pumpkins which have a blue/green skin and a deep orange flesh. Both have. a lovely flavour and are great for cooking.