Here is a lovely recipe for Butternut Squash soup which is perfect for this time of year. The flavour really comes from roasting the butternut squash so don't be tempted to skip this step. You only need a few simple ingredients and this is great to make in large batches.

Ingredients
1kg butternut squash
Olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2 medium onions, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 mild red chilli, deseeded & finely chopped (optional)
1 litre Carol’s Stock Market Vegetable Stock
60ml double cream
Salt & pepper

To serve:
Pumpkin seeds
Sliced chilli, optional
Double cream

Serves
4-6

Method
Pre-heat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan assisted.
Peel and deseed the butternut squash, then cut squash into large cubes. Arrange in a single layer on a large baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Toss lightly to coat, then sprinkle with sea salt flakes.

Roast butternut until tender, about 30 minutes. Heat a large pot over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil and the butter. Once butter has melted, add the onion and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent.

Add the garlic and chilli, if using, and cook for further 2-3 minutes on medium low heat. Add the roasted butternut to the pot along with the vegetable stock. Use a stick blender to blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can spoon the soup into a heat resistant blender in parts, then return the blended soup to the pot.

Once smooth, increase heat and bring to a simmer. If you prefer a thicker soup, leave to simmer until soup has reduced slightly and is thicker. Otherwise, stir in the cream and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot garnished with a drizzle of cream, pumpkin seeds and slices of red chilli.