Butternut squash, chilli and ginger soup

Today I made my first soup of the year. It's now Autumn in this household, and what better way to start the cooler season, than with this tasty and nutritious soup.

Butternut squash, chilli and ginger soup

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients - serves 6:
2 medium sized butternut squash peeled and chopped into large chunks
1 and a half chopped onions
3 roughly chopped cloves of garlic
A large thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, roughly chopped
2 chopped chillies - I used standard ones, but I'm sure Bird's-eye chillies would work well too
2 good quality vegetable stock cubes
A knob of butter
A good slug of vegetable oil


Method:
Begin by heating a large stock pan over a low heat, pour in the oil and add the butter, then add the onions to the pan and cook until a little softer and more translucent.

Once softened, add the garlic, ginger and chilli to the pan. Stir regularly and watch the garlic doesn't burn. Burnt garlic isn't nice.

After 2-3 minutes, add the chopped butternut squash and stir well.

Add the two stock cubes and approx 750ml water (please add as much as you feel necessary, just remember not to cover the vegetables, as your soup will taste watered down if you do).

Bring to a gentle boil and then simmer for about half an hour. Stir it every now and again to prevent sticking. Apply a lid to the pan at an angle, just to allow a little steam to escape.

After 30 minutes, turn the heat off and leave to cool a little. Scorching hot soup flicking in your eye whilst blending is NOT fun.

Once cooled a little, blend to your desired consistency. I like a fairly smooth but thick soup, but the choice is yours.

Finally, feel free to serve with a dash of coconut milk, or a spoon of creme fraiche. Or sprinkled with pumpkin seeds.

I have submitted this recipe to Lisa's No Croutons Required September call, which is co-hosted by Jacqueline at Tinned Tomatoes.