Winter squash soup (V)

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Winter squash soup - about this recipe

If you grow butternut squashes, this recipe is a great way to use them up. A warming winter soup that is well worth making

Ingredients

• Extra virgin olive oil
• 16 freshly picked sage leaves with stems
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 red onions, peeled and sliced
• 2 celery sticks, washed and chopped, leaves trimmed
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• A handful of rosemary leaves, chopped
• 1 dried hot chili, ground to powder
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded, halved and cut into 1" thick slices
• 2 litres good quality vegetable stock.

Method

1. Add a three good glugs of olive oil to a big saucepan, when nearly smoking, add the sage leaves and fry until crisp and dark. About 30 seconds.
2. Remove and drain on kitchen paper and reserve.
3. In the same pan and oil, add the onion, celery, carrots, rosemary leaves, ground chili and the salt and pepper and stir-fry for 15 minutes until the softened
4. Add the squash and vegetable stock, return to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes
5. Test the squash, it should be soft like a cooked potato
6. Remove from the heat and whizz up in a food processor until you have your desired consistency

Chef's note

This dish freezes very well so it's worth making larger quantities.