Roast Butternut & Tomato Soup

 

I received two small butternut squash in my Able & Cole veg box this week. Soup... that's what I craved and that's what I decided to make. Not very original but a large jug of home made soup in the fridge, is oh-so-useful when you have two hungry kids that do a lot of sport and need "topping up" with food throughout the day... beats unhealthy snacks hands down.

This is a healthy and warming soup with a little extra "kick" for cold winter nights.

Roast Butternut & Tomato Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 x small or 1 x large butternut squash

5 x ripe tomatoes

2 x large or 4 x small red onions

2 x cloves of garlic, peeled

1.5 Litres of vegetable stock

3 tablespoons of thyme, chopped

1 teaspoon dried chili flakes

1 teaspoon ground smoked paprika

light olive oil

1 tablespoon of cider vinegar or white wine vinegar

freshly ground pepper

Equipment: 

You'll need two roasting trays as the butternut squash & tomatoes need different roasting times.

You'll also need a food processor or hand held liquidizer to puree the soup.

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to  200°C / 400F / Gas Mark 6
• Cut each butternut squash in half, length wise and remove the seeds with a spoon.
• Brush with vegetable oil and place, skin side down, on a roasting tray. The butternut squash will need to roast for about 45 minutes or until it is soft.
• Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes and  red onions into quarters, removing the skins of the onions and cutting off the roots and shoots. Skin the garlic and roughly chop. Toss the tomatoes, onions, garlic and chili flakes in about 2 tablespoons of light olive oil and the vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
• The tomatoes, onions and garlic will only need about 30 minutes to roast, so put them in the oven 15 minutes after the butternut squash.
• Once the squash is soft, scoop the flesh out with a spoon into a large saucepan.
• Add the stock and stir in the roasted tomatoes, garlic & onions.
• Sprinkle in the paprika and finely chopped thyme.
• Allow to cool slightly before liquidising, using either a food processor or hand held blender. 
• Warm through before serving, adding more seasoning if required.