I made this soup last night and it was so easy and, even if I do say so myself, it was delicious. We had it with tiger bread rolls that I had bought from Tescos.

Butternut Squash and Carrot soup

The baking of these vegetables brings out the sweetness of the squash and the wonderful flavour of the vegetables.

Ingredients
1 butternut squash
1 red onion (chopped)
2 shallots (chopped)
2 medium carrots (chopped)
1 red pepper
1 small / medium potato (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons of cumin seeds
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons smoked pimento / paprika (optional)
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 vegetable stock cube (preferably organic)
500ml water

Method
• Cube the squash. Put on a baking tray, sprinkle with sesame oil and cumin seeds and smoked pimento, if used.
• Bake in a preheated oven (180c) for approx 15 – 20 mins, until squash starts to go soft.
• Put chopped red onion, shallots and red pepper in an ovenproof dish with the cloves of garlic (left whole) and the balsamic vinegar.
• Bake in oven with the squash and also leave until soft.
• Put 500ml boiling water into a big pan and add the stock cube, chopped carrots and potatoes. Bring back to the boil.
• Add the squash and baked vegetables to the pan. Simmer gently until the potato and carrots start to disintegrate. Add more water if needed.
• Remove from heat. When cooled liquidise until smooth.
• For serving add yoghurt or fromage frais and freshly baked granary bread.
• This is a very thick creamy yellow/gold soup that can be thinned down with vegetable stock if necessary.
• This soup freezes well. Pumpkin can be used instead of squash, if available.