Butternut Squash Soup
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 large butternut squash
1 large onion
1 large carrot
1 fat clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of vegetable bouillon powder
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of fresh thyme - leaves only
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 quarter of a litre of boiling water
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
- Take a sharp knife and cut the butternut squash lengthways. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
- Rest the butternut squash on a baking tray, flesh side down and place in the centre of the oven. Roast until the orange flesh is squishy (30-40 minutes).
- Remove the butternut squash from the oven, leave until cool enough to handle, then scoop out the flesh and put to one side.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan, peel and chop the onion and add it to the pan. Fry over a medium heat until soft.
- Peel and chop the garlic, add it to the saucepan along with the onion. Fry for 2 minutes.
- Peel and chop the carrot. Add it to the saucepan, fry for another 2 minutes.
- Add the flesh of the butternut squash to the pan, fry for another two minutes.
- Put the vegetable bouillon powder in a measuring jug, add 1 quarter of a litre of boiling water, stir until dissolved and add to the pan along with the bay leaf and fresh thyme.
- Simmer for 20 minutes with the lid off.
- Leave to cool slightly, remove the bay leaf then blend with a stick blender and serve. Add more boiling water to thin the soup if necessary.
Variations
Try adding any other vegetables you like, for example, potatoes or leeks.
If you want to spice things up add a teaspoon of curry powder at the beginning of the cooking process for curried butternut squash soup, or some chopped fresh ginger along with the garlic.
Toasted sweet corn sprinkled on top when the soup is served is delicious.
(More of my recipes coming soon!)
The copyright of this article is owned by Sharon Kirby. Permission to republish this work must be granted by the author.
