I LOVE autumn; chunky knit jumpers, the changing colour of the leaves, Halloween, cosy nights in by the fire, and warming bowls of soup! I knocked up this soup as a last minute meal when I had a squash to use up, and a friend coming round for lunch. You only need a handful of ingredients which you can find in any supermarket. If you have random veggies to use up, such as bell peppers or tomatoes, you can toss them in too. Best served with a chunky slice of bread!
Ingredients
- 1-2 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 tbsp of butter (or olive oil)
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 TBSP tomato puree
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cayenne chilli pepper
- 3 carrots peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 medium butternut squash peeled and cubed
- 1 litre of vegetable stock
- salt and black pepper to taste
- to serve; chilli flakes and pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200c. Line a flat baking tray with tinfoil. Place the butternut squash and carrots on the tray and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 45 minutes, turning once, under soft and golden.
- Heat the butter or oil in a large heavy-based saucepan and gently fry the onion for 1-2 minutes until soft, then add the garlic. Add the tomato puree and sprinkle in the ground spices and stir well to release their aromas.
- Add the carrots and butternut squash, and pour in the stock and bring up to the boil. Cover and simmer gently for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are cooked and tender.
- Pour the soup into a blender and blitz until smooth, or alternatively use a hand blender.
- To serve, ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle some chilli flakes and pumpkin seeds over the top.
