Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Spiced Seeds

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Spiced Seeds

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Spiced Seeds

 

This time of year calls for soup and lovely crusty bread with plenty of butter. In this recipe I've chosen to use squash but this method lends itself to most vegetables and there's no fiddling about with laboriously dicing onions. Once you find a perfect sized dish (I love my shallow 30cm Le Creuset with a lid), you'll be making a batch of this soup every week.

Swap out the squash for tomatoes, a teaspoon of fennel seeds and a pinch of chilli flakes; try leeks and spinach with a grating of nutmeg and finish with a dollop of crème fraiche blended in at the end; what about cauliflower spiced up with some curry powder and a sprinkle of extra cumin. For soft vegetables like spinach or peas or leftover cooked vegetables you might have hanging around in the fridge, add them with the stock. 

Ingredients

For the soup:

  • 2 small butternut squash, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 large onions, peeled and roughly chopped
  • Drizzle of flavourless oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • Salt and pepper
  • 500 ml hot vegetable stock
  • 500 ml boiling water

 

For the spicy seeds:

  • 200g mixed seeds
  • 1 tsp nigella seeds
  • 4 tsp harissa spice mix

 

Method

1. Roast the vegetables: Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the squash and onions into a large shallow ovenproof dish with a lid, or a roasting tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle over the spices, salt, and pepper. Roast uncovered for 30 minutes.

2. Add stock and cook further: Remove from the oven, pour over the hot vegetable stock, and cover with a lid or foil. Return to the oven for another 30 minutes.

3. Blend and finish: Check that the vegetables are soft. Add the water and blend using a tabletop blender or stick blender. You may need to add extra water to reach your desired consistency. Return to a pan, adjust seasoning, and portion into containers or bags ready for freezing.

To serve: Drizzle with peppery olive oil and top with spiced seeds. Optional additions: butterbeans, fresh coriander, or crispy chilli oil.

Spiced Seed Topping

1. Roast the seeds: Preheat oven to 200°C. Pour the seeds into a small roasting dish and stir through the nigella seeds and harissa spice mix. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden and toasted. Note: Depending on the oil content of the seeds, they may toast quicker than expected.

2. Store: Once cooled, transfer to a jar and seal tightly. These seeds will keep for about a month and are perfect for topping soups, salads, roasted vegetables, or simply snacking.