There’s nothing tastier than a homemade soup, whether that be tomato, pumpkin or butternut squash.
With butternut squashes in season all year, they have a sweet orange flesh, perfect for a soup.
Mary Berry’s recipe requires just a handful of ingredients and it can be frozen for up to three months.
The recipe notes said: “Roasting them in the oven means that you don’t have to tackle removing the tough skin, and it fills the kitchen with a delicious aroma.”
This recipe serves six people and will be ready from start to finish in under two hours.
Ingredients:
Three small butternut squashes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Grated nutmeg
25g butter
One large onion, roughly chopped
Two large carrots, roughly chopped
Two large celery sticks, sliced
2.4cm root ginger, grated
1.1-1.3 litres of vegetable or chicken stock
Sprig of fresh rosemary or one teaspoon of dried rosemary
Method:
Start by preheating the oven to 200C and then cut the butternut squash lengthways, scoping out the seeds and discarding them.
Arrange them side up in a roasting tin before drizzling with olive oil and seasoning with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Pour 150ml water around the squash and roast in the oven for about one hour 15 minutes, basting occasionally, until tender, then allow to cool.
Melt the butter in a large pan and add the onion, carrot, celery and grated ginger, cooking for five to 10 minutes to soften.
Add the stock, rosemary and seasoning, bringing to a boil and then partially covering and simmering for 20 minutes.
When cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the squash and add to the pan.
Blend the vegetables in a food processor or liquidiser until smooth. Mary noted: “If you use a food processor, it is easier to process the vegetables with a little of the liquid, adding the remaining liquid to the processed vegetables to make the soup.”
Taste for seasoning and then serve hot alongside crusty bread. This soup can be covered and kept in the fridge for up to three days.
