Is there anything more comforting when it’s cold outside than a big bowl of creamy soup and some big hunks of toast to dunk in? It’s one of the things I love most about the colder seasons. You can make soups in big batches and enjoy throughout the week for lunch, or freeze for quick meals in the evening. This squash soup is made with simple ingredients and couldn’t be easier to prepare! A little topping is an essential for almost everything I make in a bowl (I think it’s impossible for me to not add toppings these days) so I’ve added some lightly spiced roasted chickpeas to this soup for extra texture and boost of protein.
Squash season is well and truly here and the market is full of a huge variety of squashes and pumpkins. You can use any squash you like for this recipe, even sweet potato if you don’t have squashes near you. I used butternut squash for this but it tastes just as delicious with pumpkin too.
I added chilli and a pinch of cinnamon to add some extra warmth to this soup, but feel free to leave the chilli out or just use half a chilli if you’re not into spicy heat. Personally I love a little kick when it’s cold and it’s a great way to boost your immune system. Adding a swirl of coconut yoghurt before serving is a deliciously creamy way to balance out the spice too, it’s really adds to the cosy factor!
The most difficult part of this recipe is peeling the squash, after that it’s easy as can be. The key to an extra depth of sweetness and flavour is roasting the squash, onion and garlic. I chuck half a garlic bulb in the tray with the veg while cooking as roasted garlic is deliciously sweet. It’s best to roast a whole garlic bulb in one go, even though you’ll only use a few cloves for the recipe you can enjoy the rest of the garlic for other dishes during the week. Just add in place of regular garlic in your usual recipes.
This recipe makes enough for about six bowls of soup, so freeze ahead if you won’t use it all, or if you keep your soup nice and thick you can even use the leftovers for pasta sauce, so good!
If you haven’t made soup before, you’ll be amazed at how easy and cheap it is. A tall jug blender is ideal to use for a recipe like this, but a stick blender will work just as well if you don’t have one.
Pumpkins are such good value at the moment, so rather than carving one, eat it and make a heap of soup to enjoy through Winter!
I’d love to know if you try this recipe! Please rate it below, leave me a comment or take a pic and tag me on Instagram @bos.kitchen.
Stay cosy, friends! xoxoxo
- 1.5 kg butternut squash or pumpkin
- 1 red onion
- 1 bulb of garlic
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 red chilli (optional)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 litre vegetable stock or water
- Salt and pepper
- 1 can chickpeas, drained
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup coconut yoghurt
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- Preheat oven to 200•c. Peel and chop squash into 2 inch pieces. Peel and chop onion in half. Pour over olive oil and rub into veggies until evenly covered.
- Slice the top of the garlic off so the cloves are slightly exposed. Wrap in foil and place onto a baking tray with the squash and red onion. Cook everything in the oven for 40 mins, until starting to brown at the edges. Remove the garlic after 30 mins and allow to cool for 10 mins.
- Add roasted veg, 4 cloves of the roasted garlic, chilli (if using) and cinnamon to a large saucepan. Add the vegetable stock, pinch of salt and pepper and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
- Prepare chickpeas by adding chickpeas, spices, salt and pepper to a small roasting pan. Pour over olive oil and use a spoon to mix everything well. Roast in the oven for 15-20 mins, until golden and crispy.
- Remove soup from the heat and transfer to a blender, or use a stick blender to process in the pan until smooth. Reheat soup in the pan and taste test for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed. Top with roasted chickpeas, chopped parsley and a swirl of coconut yoghurt.
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