Roasted Squash and Sage Soup
Roasting rather than boiling is the whole trick here: the edges caramelise, the flesh dries out a little, and the soup ends up sweeter and thicker without any cream.
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 1 kg), peeled and cubed
- 1 onion, cut into wedges
- 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 12 sage leaves
- 900 ml vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp butter
- Nutmeg, salt and black pepper
- Toasted pumpkin seeds, to serve
Method
- Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Toss the squash, onion and garlic with 2 tbsp oil and salt and roast for 30 minutes until the edges are browned.
- Squeeze the garlic out of its skins and tip everything into a pan with the stock.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, then blend until completely smooth.
- Fry the sage leaves in the remaining oil and the butter for 40 seconds until crisp; lift them out and keep the fat.
- Stir the sage butter into the soup, grate in a little nutmeg, and season.
- Serve with the crisp sage and toasted pumpkin seeds.
Notes
A dense squash needs longer in the oven — roast until a knife slides in with no resistance.
The soup freezes for three months; leave out the cream and butter if you plan to.
If it tastes flat, it needs acid, not salt: a squeeze of lemon fixes it.