This recipe is in categories Healthy eating, Soups and Sauces, Starters, Vegetarian,

Difficulty: 2
Comments: Take care with chopping the onion and garlic etc.
and with cutting the butternut squash!
Preparation Time: 30 - 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 55 minutes (the squash can be cooking whilst you make the soup)
Number of servings: 4
Serving suggestions: Serve with warm crusty bread.
This is a vegetarian recipe

This is lovely comfort food for the chilly evenings – surprisingly delicious.

You will only really need half a butternut squash for this – I suggest you roast all of it, mash the other half up and freeze it – or you could double the soup ingredients and then freeze half the soup when you have made it!

If you cannot get fresh ginger, try 1 teaspoon of ground ginger

• 500g (1lb 4oz) butternut squash, cooked and pureed (see below)
• 2 large (or 3 small) pears
• 1 medium onion
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 25g (1oz) fresh ginger, peeled
• 30ml (2 tablespoons) olive oil
• 600ml (1 pint) vegetable stock
• 125ml (¼ pint) double cream
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
• small bunch chives (optional for garnish)

Roasting the squash: 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/375°f/Gas Mark 4
2. Grease a roasting tin with a little oil
3. Cut butternut squash in half along its length
4. Scoop out seeds
5. Put squash in tin cut side up
6. Cover with foil
7. Roast between 30 and 45 minutes until it is tender
8. Allow to cool and scoop out the flesh and mash (or puree in a blender)

Meanwhile the soup : 

1. Peel onion and chop with garlic and ginger as finely as possible
2. Heat oil in large saucepan
3. Stir in onion, garlic, ginger and some salt (try ½ tsp)
4. Cover pan, lower heat to low and let it ‘sweat’ for 10-15 minutes – don’t let it brown
5. Peel, core and roughly chop the pears
6. Stir into the pan with the stock
7. Heat to a simmer then cover and simmer for 20 minutes (until the pear is very soft)
8. Then add pureed squash and cream and check the seasoning adding salt and pepper if needed
9. Keep warm till serving then top with chopped chives (optional)