Souper Duper

There is always a moment after returning from a great holiday when it suddenly hits you. It may be the rain lashing down outside and you think back to baking hot sunshine, or it could be the first dreadful canteen lunch you have at work and you find your mind cast back to the great food you’d enjoyed for a fortnight.

For me this week, it was sight of Halloween and Christmas treats in the first shop I entered. When I left a fortnight ago, it was barely October and the weather was promising to be good. There were reports of an extended berry season because of the odd summer we’ve had a ndwinter seemed a long time away.

The first thing to greet me in Waitrose today was the stand with their magazine. It appears to be the law that at this time of year, supermarket magazines must offer us new ways with baked potatoes for bonfire night or how to make bats out of ready-to-roll icing for Halloween cupcakes. And, of course, they will always contain a recipe for squash soup.

The squash family do make good soup, there’s no denying it. And you can add any roots you have lying around – carrots, parsnips and potatoes all work fine too. Squashes not only give a great texture but a lovely autumnal colour.

The world is divided into people who are good soup makers and those who aren’t. I fall into the latter camp so only make it if I have a good recipe. My very lovely friend Lana does not consider herself a confident cook but her butternut squash soup is my favourite and the recipe I offer up today. Likewise, my mother-in-law would not claim to be capable of anything flash in the kitchen but her ham soup, made with ribs, is legendary. Comforting, salty, filling and a great hangover cure.

My friend tells me it’s all about giving the veggie base a good slow turn around the pan before adding any stock. This may be where I come unstuck since it could be a lack of patience that sees me end up with watery, tasteless pots of soup.

So to Lana’s soup. She used to make it for me when we worked together and we would enjoy it over a blether on our breaks. It is rich, deeply satisfying but very healthy. I’m not a fan of creamy soups and there is only a dash in this one but squash gives any soup a great velvety texture. It’s a guddle to peel and chop a butternut squash but a heavy Chinese cleaver helps. When making this for the blog today I suddenly realised I was out of paprika, hence the chorizo addition at the end. Either way, it’s delicious.

Lana’s Butternut Squash Soup

Serves four, generously

One butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks roughly 2cm thick. You can also add some sweet potato or carrot – both improve the colour of the final soup

Two fat cloves of garlic, crushed

Good pinch of dried chilli flakes

Half a tsp of sweet paprika

2 tbsp grainy or Dijon mustard

About a pint of veg or chicken stock (you may need more depending on size of squash)

Salt and pepper

1-2 tbsp creme fraiche or cream

In a large pan with a lid, heat two tbsp of olive oil and gently fry the garlic and chilli. Add the squash and cook gently, turning occasionally until just soft around the edges and slightly tinged (about 10 minutes). Add the paprika and mustard and stir well in. Pour in the stock. The squash should be just covered with liquid. Bring to the boil, season and put the lid on. Simmer gently until the squash is soft. Allow to cool slightly and puree using a hand blender or liquidiser. Return to the heat and taste for seasoning. Add the creme fraiche or cream.

This is quite nice with a little crispy chorizo and a drizzle of the paprika oil from the pan. But it’s equally as nice (and vegetarian) without. In fact, if you ditch the creme fraiche, it’s probably fine for a vegan if made with veggie stock.

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