I made the ultimate Autumn soup – 63p ingredient was a game changer

I made a delicious autumnal soup (if I do say so myself), and I added one ingredient that made all the difference. The hot UK summer weather is well and truly behind us, and the autumnal feel has truly arrived. As a result, I have retrieved my hand blender and soup pot, and I have been busy making some hearty and comforting soups. My latest one is one of my favourites so far.

I have made a few soups in recent weeks. One of my past highlights was my sweet potato and carrot soup. However, my spicy tomato and butternut squash soup has given it a run for its money. With the help of one ingredient, it had a hearty and earthy flavour that added to the complexity of the different vegetables I used. What’s even better is that it takes little effort, and I can spend most of the cooking time doing something else.

The extra ingredient I used, which only costs 63p in Sainsbury’s, was ground cumin. Ground cumin added a deeper flavour, which was crucial for balancing the acidity of the tomatoes and onions, and for enhancing the autumnal flavour of the squash.

Here is everything I used to make my spicy tomato and butternut squash soup:

• 6 medium tomatoes
• 2 red chillis
• 1 red bell pepper
• 3 small/medium red onions
• 1 butternut squash
• 1 leek
• 2 bulbs of garlic
• 1 tbsp double cream
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 2 to 3 tsp cumin
• Dash of salt and black pepper

Here are the steps I followed to make my spicy tomato and butternut squash soup

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C and line two baking trays with baking paper.
2. Chop all vegetables (except for the leek) into medium-sized chunks. Chop the tops of the garlic bulbs, leaving them in their skins. Once the oven has preheated, roast the vegetables and garlic for around 25 minutes.
3. Heat olive oil in a large pot. Chop and fry the leek for five minutes.
4. Once the vegetables have finished roasting in the oven, add them to the pot and let them continue to cook on a low heat.
5. Make vegetable stock using two cubes and add it to the pot. Add the spices. Cover the pot and let it simmer on a low heat for around 20 minutes.
6. Turn off the heat and blend the contents of the pot with an immersion blender. If you don’t have one of these, transfer the contents of the pot to a separate blender and blitz it.
7. In the pot, add the double cream and stir it into the soup over a low heat.

This soup really became a quick favourite of mine. It is a recipe that I will definitely revisit. If I were to do anything different, I might have used one less chilli. Otherwise, it was one of my best attempts at making soup.