A staple in our household; oh-s0 comforting and warming (which let's face it we always need in this British weather). It just so happens to be pretty easy to make and prepare too, requiring little time and effort...
Ingredients:
1 whole butternut squash
1/2 red onion
1 vegetable stock cube (mixed with 1 litre of hot water)
3 cloves of garlic, out of their skin
thumb sized piece of ginger
1 tsp of dried rosemary
1 tsp of dried thyme
100ml of cream (I used oatly alternative)
dried chilli flakes
seasoning (salt and pepper)
extra virgin olive oil
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.
Prepare the butternut squash. Remove the skin from the squash and cut in half to remove the inner seeds. Cut into small chunks and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle over the dried herbs and seasoning, then add as many dried chilli flakes as you wish. Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, take the squash from the oven and turn it. Add the garlic cloves to the tray and place back in the oven for another 10 minutes, or until completely softened and some edges are lightly charred.
Meanwhile, chop the onion and fry in a little oil on a low heat for 10 minutes, until caramelised and completely softened. Then remove from the oven.
Prepare the stock and peel the ginger.
Add the stock to the onions, together with the ginger and the squash. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
Take off the heat and blitz the mixture using a hand blender until smooth. I normally have to add more water at this point, so do the same until it reaches the desired consistency. Check the seasoning and add the cream.
Serve with thick slices of freshly cut bread and enjoy.