Recipe

Spiced roast butternut soup

  • Soups
  • Serve 4 Portions
Description

With cold days ahead this soup makes a great Winter warmer and is ideal to take to work for a healthy lunch, as well as being an impressive starter for you next dinner party.

 

Ingredients

1 butternut squash approx 1kg, peeled and deseeded
2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
1 tbsp butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 Garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 red chilli deseeded and finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
800ml vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
4 Tbsp creme fraiche plus a little extra to serve
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts to serve

Instruction Steps
  1. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
  2. Cut the squash into large cubes, about 4cm/1½in across, then toss in a large roasting tray with 1 tbsp of the olive oil.
  3. Roast for 30 mins, turning once during cooking, until golden and soft.
  4. While the butternut squash cooks, melt the butter with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan then add the onions, garlic clove and three-quarters of the chillies.
  5. Cover and cook on a very low heat for 15-20 mins until the onions are completely soft.
  6. Add the cumin and coriander and cook for 2 minutes.
  7. Add the butternut squash into the pan, add the stock and crème fraîche, then blend smooth. For a really silky soup, put the soup into a liquidiser and blitz it in batches.
  8. Return to the pan, gently reheat, then season to taste. Serve the soup in bowls with swirls of crème fraîche, toasted pine nuts and a scattering of the remaining chopped chilli.
Chef's Tips

For a dinner party I would drizzle a little olive oil on the soup and a sprinkle of freshly chopped coriander.