As seasons go, Fall is a such tease: warm with sunny memories of summer one day then crisp, autumnal reality the next. Luckily, this recipe for roasted butternut squash soup has just the sort of rich flavor and velvety texture that will help you and the family fully embrace Fall. Of course, before we know it, the cooler weather will be here for good and we will be well and truly into Soup Season. Soup like this is quite easy, but roasting the squash, onions and garlic can take a bit of time. Trust me, it is well worth it for the extra mellow flavor you’ll get as a result.
The great thing about squash soup is that it is a really versatile base: you could add some cumin or curry powder to spice it up or if you have a sweet tooth, try adding some apple, nutmeg and cinnamon. Personally, I like it made with some rosemary and served with a sprinkle of spicy pumpkin seeds to give it a bit of seasonal crunch.
Ingredients
For the soup:
1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped
1 onion – chopped
3 peeled cloves of garlic (seems a lot but roasted gives them a more mellow flavor)
5 cups of vegetable stock (chicken stock gives a richer flavor)
A generous glug of olive oil
A few sprigs of rosemary
1 tsp brown sugar
Kosher salt (it provides a more consistent strength and texture)
Ground black pepper
For the pumpkin seeds:
A handful of pumpkin seeds
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp salt
Toss the squash, onion, garlic and rosemary in olive oil, sprinkle with the brown sugar and season with salt and pepper. Then roast in preheated oven at 385°F for about 40 minutes until golden.
In a pan sauté heat the olive oil then add the squash mixture and fry for another few minutes. Add stock and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. If it is too thick add some more stock until you get your soup to your required consistency.
While the soup is simmering, heat a small pan, there is no need to add oil. Add the pumpkin seeds, salt, cayenne and paprika. Heat for a few minutes, swirling around the pan until the pumpkin seeds are golden brown.
Blitz the soup in a food processor. Then serve sprinkled with either the spicy sunflower seeds or with a garnish of your choice. Here are a few other ideas for toppings. Don’t try them all together!
Garlic croutons
Grated Parmesan
Blue cheese
Small pieces of fried bacon (good for appeasing carnivores)
Pumpkin seeds – spicy or plain
Cream
Greek yoghurt
Spring onions
Parsley
Do you have any favorite soup toppings?
Just one last thing, as the roasting for this soup takes a bit of preparation I often make double and freeze half in a flattened Ziploc bag. This is my new preferred way of freezing as if you forget to take out of the freezer in the morning, (as I invariably do), it can be easily thawed by running under water for 60 seconds. By flattening the Ziploc, you also save a lot of space.