Cream of Butternut Soup

Directions

1. Pre heat oven to 220°C (200°C Fan Assisted)
    
2. Cut the butternut length ways to halve it.
    
3. Scoop out the seeds and discard.
    
4. Brush the cut side of the butternut with olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of salt.
    
5. Arrange the butternut cut side down on a baking tray. Tip: I line the tray with tinfoil so make for easier clean up!
    
6. Roast butternut for 30 – 40 mins, until a sharp knife or a fork can pass through the flesh.
    
7. Leave to cool on a wire rack, about 10mins.
    
8. Once cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop the roasted flesh out of the skin. Discard the skin. Tip: If you gave your butternut a wash beforehand, you can actually just roughly chop the butternut, skin and all, and use all of it in the soup, the skin should be soft enough and will blend easily.
    
9. In a large pot over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp of butter in a dash of olive oil.
    
10. Add the chopped onions and sauté until onions are soft and translucent, stirring frequently, about 10mins.
     
11. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for another minute.
     
12. Raise the temperature to high and add the stock, spices, orange juice, zest and roasted butternut and bring to a boil.
     
13. Once it’s reached a boil, lower the heat to medium low and simmer for 30mins.
     
14. Blend the soup in a food processor or using a stick blender until soup is smooth.Tip: If your food processor doesn’t have a large enough capacity, then blend the soup in 2 or 3 batches; pour the blended soup into a bowl and set aside until all of the soup is blended, then return all of it to the pot.
     
15. Still over a medium low heat, add the cream to the blended soup and simmer for a further 10 – 15 mins, until it’s at your preferred thickness.Taste your soup and season with salt and pepper to taste.
     
16. Tip: I always add the salt last because it depends on how salty your stock is. If salty enough, you might not need to add any salt at all.
     
17. Serve with a drizzle of cream and freshly cracked black pepper, and of course, a lovely hunk of buttered bread.

Recipe created by Mandy Mortimer.