Warming Butternut Squash soup tantalises with Christmas flavours but work equally well for Hallowe'en & Nov 5th.(Update)
first posted 2020; updated 2024
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| Hints of ginger & orange in this full-bodied party soup |
A bowlful of this luscious Butternut, Ginger & Orange soup is a delicious treat, sliding down like warm silk.
It'a vegan, make-ahead, easy and wallet-friendly -- a boon for cooks as well as health-conscius family and guests.
If you can find a Golden Butternut squash (instead of standard gourds) the flavour of the soup is ambrosial. Grown in Greece, Golden Butternut Squash is promoted as having richer, sweeter and fuller flavour, intensified by roasting the squash in advance
If Golden Butternut isn't available, a regular one will still tastes lovely. Fresh ginger adds warmth without heat, and fresh orange juice adds a lovely citrus backdrop.
The recipe makes a very generous portion of thick rich soup base, too much for most households unless you're entertaining a crowd. 67 recommends freezing half the base for another time.
Soup as a first course is always a wise dinner choice from a budget point of view -- soup satisfies hunger pangs without dampening the appetite but cuts down on demand for expensive mains.
Cost: min £3.75'ish (9/24)
Makes: almost two litres
Ingreds
1 good-sized (about 1kilo/2 pounds) butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, in large bite-size pieces (see how to cut and peel a butternut squash from The Kitchen)
2 handfuls cooked brown rice (adds fibre) OR 2 potatoes, peeled
2 tbsp olive oil
pepper & salt
scant 1/2 cup white & light green bits of spring onions
OR 1 med onion, coarsely chopped (FODMAP, see Tips)
2 decent-sized stalks celery, peeled, chopped
2 large carrots, washed and coarsely chopped
1 tb olive oil
scant tbsp dairy or plant butter
1 quart/2.5 cups chicken or good vegetable stock (67 uses Marigold vegan granules)
Ingredients for each half recipe of base:
1.5 tb finely grated peeled ginger
zest and juice of a medium orange (about 1/2 cup)
slug olive oil
min 1/2, max 1 litre good stock, depending on how thick you like your soup
Garnishes:
- finely chopped chives
- Memorable Crunchy Croutons
- vegan bacon bits
Method:
