Spicy butternut squash soup

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash
• 1 red chili
• 4 small shallots (or 2 large)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp dried sage
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 500 ml vegetable stock (or water and two stock cubes)
• vegetable oil

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / 400°F

2. 2

   Peel and dice butternut squash. Add to a baking tray and add chili powder, sage, thyme and a drizzle of oil. Combine and make sure that every piece of squash is coated.

3. 3

   Roast in the oven until the pieces start to soften. This will take about 15-30 minutes, depending on how big the chunks are. After about 10 minutes, add roughly chopped garlic, shallots and chili.

4. 4

   Roast until the butternut squash is soft and slightly golden on the edges. Remove it from the oven, and add the squash along with the other ingredients to a blender. If you don't have a blender that's large enough, add it all to a bowl and use a hand blender instead.

5. 5

   Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste the soup, and add more chili, salt or pepper if needed. Add more stock or water if you prefer a thinner consistency.

6. 6

   If you used warm stock, the soup might be suitable to serve immediately. If it's a bit too cold, add it to a saucepan and heat it for a few minutes.