Serves 3-4
This simple recipe is perfectly suited to help to warm you for a Winter’s lunch. Butternut squash is a go to for soups because of its’ delicious flavour and smooth texture. I included butter beans to make the consistency creamy as well as a source of protein.
To serve, I like to cook a grain which I can then stir through, making it a very filling lunch. For example, use quinoa, this will then introduce a complete protein into your meal.
Ingredients
1 butternut squash
1 tsp coconut oil
1 white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tin of butter beans (400g)
500ml vegetable stock
step 1
Preheat oven to 180ºC. Cut the squash in half, place onto a baking tray and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 45 minutes or until tender and leave to cool.
step 2
Heat the coconut oil in a small frying pan and lightly sauté the onion. Cover and cook on a low heat. After 10 minutes, add the garlic and continue to cook until all have softened and slightly caramelised. Leave to cool.
step 3
Take a spoon and peel away the squash flesh from the skin. Roughly chop the cooked squash. Save the skin and seeds - read my notes for why.
step 4
Tip the squash, onion, garlic, butter beans (and liquid) and stock into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Blitz in batches if limited for space. Transfer into a large saucepan and re-heat the soup, seasoning to taste.
Notes
- For me, I felt that this recipe requires a small acidic addition. I achieve this by adding pickled beetroot and/or sauerkraut. If this isn’t favoured, but you require some acidity, try juice of half a lemon.
- I never waste my bean juice! So for this recipe I have simply included it as an addition for some extra liquid and I find it also helps to thicken the consistency.
- Of course for the stock you can use bouillon (or equivalent), I do all the time. However, if you’d like to have a go at making your own stock, do. It’s a great way to use up ingredients that may be slightly past it and to take out the flavour from parts of the vegetable that you don’t normally eat such as onion skins.
- One reason that I love butternut squash is because it produces little to no waste. Of course the flesh can be used for multiple different dishes. However, I won’t then dispose of the skin and seeds, instead I roast them into a delicious snack.
Allergens: celery (in the stock)
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