Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

• 500g Butternut squash
• 1 Tbsp Olive oil
• 1 Med Onion
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Red chilli pepper
• 426ml Vegetable stock
• 30g Creme fraiche
• 2 Slices wholemeal bread
• 1 Tsp Pumpkin seeds

Method

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/400F/Gas mark 6
Cut the squash into large cubes, about 4cm/1.5in across, then toss in a large roasting tin with half the olive oil. Roast for 30 mins, turning once during cooking, until golden and soft.

Peel and chop the onion
Peel and chop the garlic
Prepare and chop the chilli

Method:

While the squash cooks, melt the butter with the remaining oil in a large saucepan, then add the onions, garlic and 0.75 of the chilli. Cover and cook on a very low heat for 15-20 mins until the onions are completely soft.
Tip the squash into the pan, add the stock and the creme fraiche, then whizz with a stick blender until smooth. For a really silky soup, put the soup into a liquidiser and blitz it in batches. Return to the pan, gently reheat, and then season to taste. Serve the soup in bowls with swirls of creme fraiche and a scattering of the remaining chopped chilli.