Soups & Starters
Soups & Starters
Roasted Squash Soup
A hearty soup that's just right for a cold autumn day
I get a bit obsessed with squash and pumpkin soups at this time of year, especially now that I grow butternut and crown prince squashes on my allotment and my kitchen is currently full of them! But the soups’ rich flavour and velvety texture is just so perfect on cold autumn days that I make no apology for the fact that this is actually the third squash soup recipe that’s now on my website!
This one is my current favourite because it’s super-versatile. After cooking the squash and the leeks, I usually divide the recipe in two - one half is used to make this soup, while the other half is turned into a delicious squash curry (recipe for that to follow soon…).
Ingredients
Serves 2-6
- 1 large squash (ideally a Crown Prince)
- pinch chilli flakes
- 1 leek, sliced thinly
- 3 carrots, chopped
- large chunk fresh ginger, grated
- half tsp ground fenugreek
- quarter tsp hot curry powder
- 1 tomato, quartered
- 500ml hot stock (chicken or vegetable)
- fresh parsley, chopped
Method
First, cut the squash into about eight, removing the seeds with a spoon as you go. Peel the chunks and put in two large roasting trays lined with foil. Drizzle over a little olive oil, toss the chunks in the oil then sprinkle over the chilli flakes. Bake at 180C for about 30 mins until tender.
Meanwhile, fry the leek in a little oil with the carrots, ginger, fenugreek and curry powder. When the leeks are soft, add the tomato and stock. Cover and leave over a gentle heat.
Take the squash from the oven and tip into the pan. (At this point, I usually divide the recipe in two, using half for the soup and saving the other half to make a curry - see Tip.) Put however much of the mixture you want to turn into soup into a blender and whizz until smooth. Adjust the seasoning if necessary and add a little water if the soup is too thick. Serve scattered with fresh parsley.
A Cook's Plot Tip
If you blend the whole mixture, you'll have enough soup for six helpings. But if you do as I usually do and split the recipe in two so you can make curry with one half, you'll have enough for two large bowls of soup.