Roasted Squash and Chilli Soup
Celebrate autumn with this colourful fortifying soup. Roasting the vegetables really intensifies their flavour. The garnishes bring the soup to life, adding texture, colour and yet more complex flavours. A slick of delicious dark pumpkin seed oil adds the finishing touch. Good-quality extra-virgin olive oil would be fine to use instead.
Serves 4
butternut squash 2, peeled, deseeded and cut into large chunks
onion 1, sliced into thick rings
large baking potato 1, halved
rapeseed oil
sea salt
coarsely ground black pepper
garlic cloves 2 large, unpeeled
fleshy red or green chilli 1
chicken stock 700–850ml, preferably homemade
for the garnish:
pumpkin seeds 3 tbsp
tomatoes 3 peeled, deseeded and diced
hard crumbly cheese such as feta or Caerphilly, 50g
pumpkin seed oil (or extra-virgin olive oil) for drizzling
1) Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6.
2) Arrange the squash, potato and onion in a roasting tin large enough to take the vegetables in a single layer. Brush with rapeseed oil and season with salt and pepper.
3) Roast for 30 minutes, turning now and again.
4) After 30 minutes, put the garlic and chilli in a small roasting tin. Put in the oven with the squash. Roast for 15 minutes or until the garlic and potato are soft, the chilli is starting to blacken and blister, and the squash is beginning to brown at the edges.
5) Peel the garlic and the potato. Remove the skin and seeds from the chilli.
6) Put two-thirds of the roasted squash in a food processor. Add the potato, garlic and chilli, and about 300ml of the stock. Blend to a purée.
7) Tip the purée into a saucepan and stir in the rest of the stock.
8) Chop the whole pieces of squash into bite-sized bits and add them too. Check the seasoning and reheat gently.
9) Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with the garnishes and finish with a swirl of pumpkin seed oil.
Recipe © Christine McFadden 2020
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