Roasted squash and apple soup recipe

For me, soups are always superior when the veg has been roasted beforehand (as opposed to boiled), said Flora Shedden. The squash and apple in this recipe both develop a lovely natural sweetness when they are left to roast and caramelise; the other great thing about this recipe is that you just shove everything in a tray to cook together.

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

• 1 butternut squash (about 900g), peeled and deseeded, then cut into 1cm slices
• 2 eating apples (about 250g), cored and cut into 1cm slices
• 1 large onion (about 250g), cut into wedges
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
• 45g fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 45g/3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 10g sage leaves
• 1kg chicken (or vegetable) stock olive oil, for cooking
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• yoghurt, to serve

For the crispy breadcrumb topping:

• 50g fresh breadcrumbs
• 50g pumpkin seeds
• 10g sage leaves, the smaller the better, but if large tear in half
• olive oil, for frying

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (400°F).
• Put the squash, apples, onion, garlic and ginger onto a baking tray and drizzle over the apple cider vinegar and a generous amount of olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper, then add the sage leaves. Toss everything together with your hands, then place in the oven to roast for 40 – 50 mins, stirring halfway through, until the squash is soft and nearly falling apart. If your veg is browning too quickly, cover the tray with foil.
• Once cooked, spoon the vegetables into a large saucepan and pour over the stock. Use a splash of the stock or some boiling water to rinse out the roasting pan, then use a wooden spoon to loosen off any caramelised bits. Add those to the pan with the veg, then bring the soup to the boil and cook for 10 mins or until everything is simmering.
• Remove the pan from the heat and use a hand-held blender (or food processor) to blend the soup until very smooth. Season to taste.
• To make the topping, heat a little oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the breadcrumbs, pumpkin seeds and sage leaves for 5 mins, or until everything is crispy and fragrant.
• Serve the soup with the crispy breadcrumbs, a dollop of yoghurt, and a drizzle of oil.

Taken from “Winter in the Highlands” by Flora Shedden.

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