Butternut Squash & Spinach Soup

Soup, underrated and often overlooked is a meal in a pot

Making it is easy and it can be made from anything that’s to hand, and I mean, literally anything.

Tinned veg, fresh veg, a long as there is a good stock or stock cubes available, the soup world is your oyster.

 Everything that’s in this soup is added to give it flavour, and that’s my whole philosophy when it comes to soup making, add only what will bring flavour or texture.

 This soup has everything, the recipe is also enough to feed a family of four with enough for seconds, and I know I’ll be serving big chunks of bred with it.

 Go on, give it a go and enjoy your sweet life!

A drizzle of single cream adds a little bit of yumm!

What You Need

•  200g Fresh Spinach – Roughly Chopped

• 2 Vegetable Stock Cubes – See Tip Box

• 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil

• 1 Large Butternut Squash – Peeled, de-seeded & chopped into cubes

• 1 Large Onion – Peeled and roughly chopped

• 1 Full Celery – Roughly chopped

• 1 Litre of Boiling Water

• Salt & Pepper

• Single Cream - To serve - Optional

Ready to be blended

 How It’s Done

•  Find a deep and big pot, add the oil and chopped onions, celery and butternut squash to the p

• Cook it gently over a medium heat, for 10-15 minutes, until the onion starts to go translucent and the butternut squash begins to get colour – don’t rush this bit – See Tip Box

• Once the butternut squash has colour, pour in the boiling water and add the stock cubes.

• Add a good pinch of salt and pepper, and stir until the stock cubes have dissolved into the water.

• Turn the heat down to low, add a lid to the pot and let the soup simmer for 20 minutes, until the butternut squash is soft enough to crush when a fork is pushed against it. – See Tip Box

• One the butternut squash is soft, remove the lid, turn up the heat and it boil until the stock has reduced by about 1/8 th.

• Once reduced, remove it from the heat and use a hand blender or food processor to blend and make smooth.

Blended and smooth

• Return the soup to the pot, turn the heat onto low, and add the chopped spinach.

• Give it a mix, give it a taste and cook very gently until the spinach has wilted.

It looks a lot, but it will all wilt down.

• If the soup needs more salt or pepper, add it now when the soup is still simmering.

• Serve the soup hot, or re-heated.with a drizzle of the single cream is using it.

Wilt it down into the soup

 Tip Box

•  Brown the butternut squash – Browning the butternut squash adds even more flavour to the soup, so take your time on this stage. The more char the more flavour.

• Cooking the squash – Depending on the size of the cubes of butternut squash will determine how long they take to go soft and cook. So don’t rush the process.