Butternut Squash and Roasted Garlic Soup

Butternut Squash and Roasted Garlic Soup – When the temperature has dropped to minus degrees and its dark and rainy outside, the last thing I want for lunch is a cold salad. Soup is a brilliant, no fuss lunch, that in my opinion is the definition of quick and easy comfort food. The following recipe provides two portions of your 5-a-day and can be easily customised depending on what veggies you have in the fridge! This recipe is great for getting different vegetables into the diets of fussy eaters, plus, by including lots of different veggies it means the meal will offer an even greater variety of vitamins and minerals. Suitable for: Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Dairy Free

Serves approx 5-6 | Preparation Time: | Cook Time:

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash. Peeled, seeds removed and diced.

1 onion. Peeled and sliced

3 dried bay leaves

1 reduced salt vegetable stock pot

2 carrots. Peeled and chopped into chunks

2 parsnips. Peeled and chopped into chunks

1 bulb of garlic. Remove papery outer layers but keep bulb in tact

Handful of fresh rosemary

1 tsp rapeseed oil

100ml half fat Creme Fraiche (optional) (use dairy free Oatly creme fraiche to make this dish vegan and dairy free)

Method:

Toss the diced butternut squash in the oil and rosemary, then spread over a baking tray. Place the garlic bulb in the middle of the tray and bake for 30 minutes at 200 degrees C.

Whilst the butternut squash is roasting, place the stock pot in a large saucepan with 1 litre of boiling water. Add the bay leaves, onion, parsnips and carrots to the pan and cover with a lid. Leave this to simmer until all of the veg is soft and can be broken with the back of a spoon. Once you’re happy with the texture of the vegetables, turn off the heat, remove the lid and leave the liquid to cool.

Tip: The carrots and parsnips can be added to the butternut squash and roasted instead of being added to the stock – your choice!

When the butternut squash is soft and slightly blackened round the edges, remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Once the stock and roasted vegetables have cooled to a safe temperature, remove the bay leaves from the pan and discard. Add the butternut squash and rosemary to the stock mix along with the deliciously soft insides of the garlic cloves.

Tip: Separate the roasted garlic cloves from the main bulb and press on the bottom of the clove using your fingers (or a knife on a chopping board) to push the flesh out of the skin.

Once everything is in the pan, use a hand blender to turn the mix into a smooth soup, adding additional water if the mix is too thick. Once you are happy with the consistency, season with black pepper and if you wish, add in some creme fraiche to give the soup a creamy boost!

Serve on its own or with a slice of toasted Sourdough. Enjoy!

Tip: This soup will last for about a week in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer, and can be reheated on the hob or in the microwave.