Butternut squash soup
SERVES 6 CALS PER SERVING 197
Ingredients
- 3 small butternut squash, about 1.7 kg (31⁄2 lb) total weight
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- grated nutmeg
- salt and black pepper
- 30 g (1 oz) butter
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 2 large carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 large celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1.2–1.3 litres (2–21⁄4 pints) vegetable stock
- crusty bread, to serve
Instructions
- Cut each squash lengthways in half, then scoop out and discard the seeds and stringy fibres. Arrange the squash halves cut-side up in a roasting tin just large enough to hold them in a single layer. Drizzle the olive oil over the flesh of the squash, and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Pour 150 ml (1⁄4 pint) cold water into the tin around the squash. Roast in a preheated oven at 200°C (180°C fan, Gas 6) for about 1 hour until tender. Remove from the oven, and set aside until cool enough to handle.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan, and add the chopped vegetables. Cook over a high heat for a few minutes until lightly coloured, stirring constantly. Pour in the stock, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. After this, Cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat.
- Scoop the flesh from the squash skins into the soup in the pan, then purée in a food processor or blender until smooth. (If using a food processor, purée the vegetables with a little of the liquid first, then add the remaining liquid and purée again.) Return the soup to the rinsed-out pan, reheat, and taste for seasoning. Serve hot, with crusty bread.
