Roast Butternut squash, garlic and rosemary soup with feta
What could be nicer that a hot bowl of soup on a cold winters day? This soup is utterly delicious - roasting the vegetables brings out their true flavour. If you are feeling a bit decadent you could always replace a little of the stock with some cream. Please don't be put off by the large amount of garlic, when roasted it becomes sweet, the flavour alters completely to that of raw garlic.
- 1 large butternut squash weighing about 1kg, cut into chunks
- 12 garlic cloves, halved
- 2 onions, sliced
- 1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh rosemary
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- Salt, crushed chilli flakes
- 750 ml hot chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 100g feta, crumbled
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
Put the butternut squash, garlic, onion, rosemary and oil in a baking tray and sprinkle with a couple of pinches each of salt and chilli. Mix well so that the squash is evenly coated with the oil and roast until the squash, onions and garlic are tender and lightly caramelized, about 45 minutes.
Tip the squash into a large saucepan, add the stock and bring to a gentler simmer over medium heat, using a hand-held blender, whiz until smooth. Correct the seasoning and adjust the consistency with hot water as needed. Simmer gently to allow the flavours to blend, about 10 minutes.
Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat until nutty about 5 minutes. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, sprinkle with feta, pumpkin seeds and coriander and serve at once.
Labels: Starters
