Spicy Butternut Squash Soup

Directions

• Take 1 large onion, cut the ends off, peel then slice in half. Roughly chop and set aside.
• Take 2 garlic cloves and peel and roughly chop. Set aside with the onion.
• Take one red chilli. Slice the end off and slice into rings. Set aside with the onion and garlic.
• Take one butternut squash. Slice the end of the butternut squash off then carefully, using a sharp knife, cut the squash in half just about the bulge at the bottom of the vegetable.
• Cut the bottom end in half downwards (to reveal the seeds). Then use a spoon to hollow the seeds out from the squash.
• Use a vegetable peeler to peel the skin off, then chop all the butternut squash into 1
  inch pieces – all of equal size.
• Also, peel and chop 1 carrot then take a large saucepan and place on the stove.
• Heat some olive oil up and through in the onion, garlic and red chillies.
• Fry for about 5 minutes over a medium to high heat whilst stirring continuously.
• Add into the pan the butternut squash we chopped earlier, along with the carrot.
• Top the contents of the pan up with boiling water until everything’s just covered.
• Crumble in one vegetable stock cube and season generously with some salt.
• Now give everything a stir and bring the pan up to boiling point.
• Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 15 minutes, topping the contents up with water if needed.
• After 15 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and carefully separate the veg from the stock (leaving the stock aside for later).
• Now, pour a small amount of the stock back into the vegetables and using either a regular or hand blender, blitz the veg until nice and smooth.
• Slowly keep adding small amounts of stock back into the pan, whilst blending, until you’re happy with the consistency of the soup.
• When you’re happy with the thickness, stop blending and this soup can be served either straight away or reheated at a late date.
• When serving, sprinkle with some freshly chopped parsley. For even more of a kick, sprinkle with some dried chilli flakes.
• There you have it, that’s how to make a deliciously spicy butternut squash soup!