soup with a hug

Passport & Plate - roasted butternut squash & red pepper soup

United Kingdom | Thursday, March 13, 2014 | 5 photos

Ingredients
1 large or 2 small Butternut squash
2-3 medium red peppers (or more smaller ones)
2 onions
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 litre of homemade chicken stock or 1/2 good quality chicken stock cube in 1 litre hot water
swirl of double cream
salt & pepper

How to prepare this recipe
Peel the butternut squash (or cut the skin off with a sharp knife). Cut into half lengthways and scoop out the seeds and fibres to leave the firm flesh. Cut into slices. Brush 2 tbsp olive oil over the cut squash. Place on a baking tray in the top of a hot oven (gas mark 7, 190oC) and cook until browned around the edges (approximately 30minutes). Cut the peppers in half, and remove the seeds and white flesh. Chop into pieces about 1 cm square. Place in a covered microwaveable bowl, with 1 tsp water, and cook on full power for 5 minutes. Remove, stir, and cook for a further 3 minutes. This sweetens the pepper taste considerably.
Peel and finely chop the onions. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan. Fry the onion with the lid on, stirring every few minutes until softened but don't allow it to brown; When the squash is cooked, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before chopping into 1cm pieces. Add the cumin to the onions and fry for 30 seconds stirring. Add the peppers, squash and hot vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Blend to make smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste; Put in a bowl, and pour a swirl of cream on the top.

The story behind this recipe:
As a child, we ate a lot of soup as a family. We lived between towns, so to get to a shop was a bus-ride or a good walk away. Towards the end of the week, the meals became more 'creative' as my parents used what was in the cupboards. Not always a full success. I still shudder at the memory of the green tomato chutney curry. But soup was always welcome. I now make soup regularly, and experiment with different concoctions. Over the years I have learned that the best soups are made with fewer ingredients and I now shop specifically for soup ingredients, rather than have only as a cupboard standby.

This is my favourite soup recipe I've created, and has borrowed from many places, as all good cooking does. Somewhere along the way I learnt about microwaving peppers to bring out their sugars and caramelize them without needing to roast and then skin them. The roasted/fried cumin is a tip from a dear friend to give the soup a good grounding in base notes. The small amount of stock cube, enhances flavor without overpowering with salt. The swirl of cream is a luxury that my fridge rarely holds, but is a decorative welcome when available.
Enjoy the smooth texture, the high and low note flavours, and the hug that a good soup always gives.