Recipe: Sensational Roasted Squash and Red Pepper Soup

Soups are the ultimate in cheap eats. My partner makes me soup all the time, and it’s always from what’s leftover in the fridge – halves of vegetables we’ve used for roasts, or bits of pepper/squash/onion/celery that you haven’t finished up. Soup-making is a great habit to get into; it’s at least a couple of lunches a week, and a good dinner, if bulked up with, say, lardons and crusty bread.

Here’s the latest one cooked by my beloved in the Strawbridge household. I’ve doubled the recipe quantities to make it 4-6; halve these and it’s for 2.

Ingredients

• 1 Butternut Squash, cut the squash in two lengthways, and peel the skin with a potato peeler. Slice two halves again lengthways.
• 2-3 stalks of celery
• 1 large or 2 small onions, cut into wedges.
• 1 Red pepper, deseeded and quartered.
• 2-3 unpeeled garlic cloves
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme, a few sage leaves, salt & pepper
• And, depending on what you have to hand:
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced lengthways in half
  OR
• 1 large potato, peeled and quartered

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 240 degrees. Throw vegetables into roasting tray with a good glug of olive oil and roast in oven for 30 minutes. Make sure the vegetables don’t burn, and toss them around after 15 minutes.
2. Prepare about two litres of chicken or vegetable stock. Homemade stock is the best; fresh stock bought from the supermarket is good too, but too pricey I think – I use Marigold Swiss Bouillon Powder most often, which is great value and has no suspect ingredients. Avoid over-salty standard stock cubes: they’re bad news, and take away from the taste of your soup.
3. When the veg is roasted, squeeze the garlic from its skin, put all the veg into the stock and simmer for a minute or two. Depending on what consistency you like your soup, you can pour some out into a cup and retain, as you can add some to your blended soup later to achieve your desired soupiness. Blend the remaining stock/vegetables until smooth. Add retained stock if you feel your soup is too thick.

Finishing Touches:

1. Add some cream or creme fraiche with chives
2. Throw in some chilli and fresh coriander
3. Toast some pumpkin seeds and sprinkle on top
4. Fry some lardons of bacon for on top (Lidl do great packs)
5. Serve with crusty bread or Rercy’s fabulous homemade spelt bread.