One Tray Spiced Squash, Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup

There’s nothing quite like starting the New Year, or any year in fact, with a huge, warming bowl of homemade soup. Normally because outside it is cold, wet, windy and just generally not very inviting; I am 100% a summer person! Another reason for wanting to put my face into a huge bowl of smooth soup is the Christmas chocolate and I am sure I am not the only one! You can never just have one or two of those addictive miniature chocolate morsels, can you? Plus, I’m that weird friend that eats all the underrated coconut based chocolates. It was basically my duty to take the burden of those delicious bite sized treats off everyone by eating them; so selfless! Despite not feeling guilty at all (more impressed by the consumption if I am totally honest), now seems a good time to balance out the sugar rush with a ton of vegetables!

Over the past year or so, this soup has become my absolute favourite to throw together at home. Butternut squash and sweet potato both give the most wonderful velvety smooth texture. It feels like silk running down your throat. My favourite aspect of this soup is that the squash and sweet potatoes do not even have to be peeled; life is too short to be peeling! Besides, there is so much fibre, extra nutrients and flavour in the normally discarded vegetable peels. Adding some simple and easily accessible spices adds a bit of drama and heat before the coconut brings its cooling nature and snippet of the tropics. I can’t guarantee, however, that this soup will take you somewhere much more tropical than the UK, but if you close your eyes, at least you won’t be able to see the British weather.

Let’s Make Soup!

Level: Easy

Serves: 4 generous bowlfuls

Total time: 1 hour

Equipment

• Large roasting tray
• Blender
• Knife
• Chopping board

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash
• 4 medium size sweet potatoes
• 2 white onions
• 4 cloves of garlic in their skin
• 1tsp ginger
• 1 tsp turmeric
• Vegetable stock (~600ml)
• 1 red chilli
• 200ml light coconut milk
• 1-2tbsp rapeseed oil
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C.
2. Halve and de-seed the butternut squash, cut into 1 inch chunks and add to the roasting tray (keep the seeds and see below!).
3. Cut the sweet potatoes and onions into the same 1 inch chunks and add to the roasting tray.
4. Cut off the top of the red chilli and de-seed and add to the roasting tray, along with the garlic cloves, turmeric, ginger and rapeseed oil.
5. Toss the vegetables in the oil and spices and roast for 40 minutes, until soft. Toss the vegetables half way through.
6. When the vegetables are cooked, squeeze the garlic out of its skin.
7. Add the vegetable stock and coconut milk to the tray and stir (if you prefer a thicker or looser soup, add more or less stock).
8. Blitz the mixture until smooth (you will probably have to do this in two batches, depending on your blender capacity).
9. Season generously with salt and pepper and serve with warm crusty bread!
10. STORE: The soup will keep in the fridge, covered, for a good few days! Just re-heat when you fancy.

Crunchy Squash Seed Topping

I never throw the seeds of any squash away because they make the best crunchy soup topping! Simply remove any flesh off the seeds, rinse, pat dry and roast in the oven at 160C for 10 minutes, before sprinkling over your generous bowl of soup! The seeds will keep in an airtight container in the cupboard for a good while and are great in salads too!

How easy is that! A gorgeous and filling soup with hardly any effort or washing up; can you tell my kitchen lacks a dishwasher!? The less pans and utensils the better! Just make sure you give yourself a big helping of this soup because you will only end up going back for more!

Made this recipe? I would love to know! Tag me on Instagram and Facebook.

#oneshyfoodie