This delicious soup can be cooked up in quick time!  Impress your dinner guests or just have a winter warmer for yourself.

These gorgeous squashes are named packed with Vitamin A – a powerful antioxidant and great for your eyesight! amongst other B complex vitamins its also low in calories. So get growing and cooking with this great vegetable.

Butternut squash comes from the pumpkin family as is available all year round.  I grow them in my veg patch and just store them ready for soups, chilli and even cakes!

This soup can be made without the roasting section, but I think roasting them just adds to the intense flavour.  The velvety texture makes the soup deliciously creamy and the toasted garnish of Tamari pumpkin seeds adds a crunch and contrasting flavour.

Ingredients

– 700g of butternut squash peeled, deseeded and chopped into 1 inch cubes
– 25g butter
– 1 medium shallot – peeled and finely chopped
– 725ml hot stock Marigold Swiss Veg Bouillon
– Salt and pepper to taste.
– Drizzle of olive oil
– 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
– 1 fat clove of garlic crushed

Method

– Preheat the oven 180 fan
– Heat a large roasting tin
– add the butternut squash and sprinkle with the olive oil
– add to the tin the garlic and ginger
– roast for 15-20 mins checking that its not too golden
– In a heavy based pan melt the butter and add the shallots – soften
– add the butternut squash and all the lovely roasting juices from the tin
– ensure that all the squash is coated with the melted butter mixture
– cover and leave on medium heat to cook for 10 mins
– Then add the hot stock, bring to the boil and leave to simmer gently for a further 20 mins.
– Once the squash is cooked through and nice and soft its ready for the food processor.  Blend until a puree – leave a bit of texture, it doesn’t have to be too smooth.
– taste it.  add salt and fresh pepper to taste.
– Serve in hot bowls and add your Tamari pumpkin seeds on top.

Enjoy hot!