Make butternut squash soup

Squash soup is one of those dishes that tastes more impressive than the effort it takes. Roast the squash, blend it with stock, and you are done. Make a big pot, because it is even better the next day.

What you need

This serves about four.

• 1 butternut squash, about 2 to 3 pounds
• 1 onion, cut into wedges
• 3 cloves garlic, left whole and unpeeled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• Salt and pepper
• Optional: a pinch of nutmeg, cinnamon or chilli flakes, a splash of cream or milk, and toasted seeds to finish

You will need a blender, or an immersion blender if you have one.

Make it

1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
2. Cut the squash in half lengthways. Scoop out the seeds and stringy bits with a spoon.
3. Rub the cut sides with a little of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Put them cut side down on a large baking sheet.
4. Toss the onion wedges in oil and add them to the tray, along with the garlic cloves.
5. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes. The squash is ready when a knife slides in with no resistance, and the edges of the onion are golden. The garlic may be done sooner. If it looks dark, take it out early.
6. Let it cool for a few minutes, until you can handle it. Scoop the squash flesh out of the skin, and squeeze the soft garlic out of its papery skins.
7. Put the squash, onion and garlic in a pot with the stock and bring it to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes.
8. Blend until smooth. If you are using a regular blender, work in batches, fill it no more than halfway and leave the lid vent open under a towel, because hot liquid builds up steam and can spit out.
9. Return it to the pot, taste, and season with salt and pepper. Add more stock if it is too thick.

Make it taste better

Salt matters more than you would expect, so taste at the end and add a little at a time. A squeeze of lemon or a small splash of vinegar brightens a soup that tastes flat. For warmth, a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon works, or a little chilli for heat. Top it with toasted pumpkin seeds, a swirl of cream or yogurt, or a handful of croutons. Crusty bread alongside turns it into dinner.

Shortcuts

If you do not want to wrestle with a whole squash, many shops sell butternut already peeled and cubed. Toss about 6 cups of cubes in oil and roast them on a tray at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until soft and a little brown, then carry on from the simmering step. You can also skip the oven and simmer the cubes in the stock for about 20 minutes, though the soup will be a little less sweet. Other squash, like kabocha or acorn, can be roasted and blended the same way.

If something goes wrong

• It tastes bland. It needs salt, or acid, or both. Add a little salt first, then a squeeze of lemon.
• It is too thick. Stir in more stock or hot water until it loosens.
• It is too thin. Simmer it for a few more minutes, uncovered, or blend in a little more roasted squash.
• It is stringy. The squash was undercooked, or the blender was not strong enough. Roast it until fully soft and blend longer, or push the soup through a sieve.
• The kitchen was covered in hot soup. Blend in smaller batches next time, and never fill the jug more than halfway.

Keeping it

Let it cool, then keep it in a covered container in the fridge for three to four days. Reheat it on the stove until steaming hot all the way through. It freezes well for a few months. Leave a little space at the top of the container, because the soup expands as it freezes.

Make it a fall evening

This is a good soup for a rainy weeknight with the oven doing most of the work. Buy the squash on a market meal trip and cook the rest from what you find there. If you have a second tray free, roast fall vegetables in the same oven to eat alongside.