Mary Berry's butternut squash soup is a family-friendly midweek meal that has been a favourite since it first appeared in her 2008 cookbook, Mary Berry's Stress-Free Kitchen. The recipe has since been shared on her official website.
The former Great British Bake Off star explained why she chose butternut squash for this dish: "Unlike pumpkin, butternut squash are available all year. Shaped like a large peanut, they have a sweet orange flesh." She added that roasting the squash first means there is no need to peel the tough skin, and it fills the kitchen with a delicious aroma.
Ingredients and method
The soup serves six and requires three small butternut squash (about 1.6kg in total), 25g of butter, one large onion, two large carrots, two large sticks of celery, 1.1-1.3 litres of vegetable or chicken stock, 2.5cm of grated root ginger, a sprig of fresh rosemary or one teaspoon of dried rosemary, freshly grated nutmeg, salt and pepper, and around two tablespoons of olive oil.
To begin, heat the oven to 200°C/180°Fan/Gas 6. Slice the butternut squash lengthways, remove and discard the seeds, then place the halves cut-side up in a roasting tin. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, and add 150ml of water to the tin. Roast for about one hour and 15 minutes, basting occasionally, until the flesh is very soft, then leave to cool.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the onion, carrot, celery and grated ginger. Sauté for five to 10 minutes until tender. Pour in the stock, add the rosemary and seasoning, bring to the boil, then partially cover and simmer for roughly 20 minutes until the vegetables are cooked. Once the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and add it to the pan.
Blending and serving
Transfer all the vegetables to a food processor and blend until smooth. Mary advises: "If you use a food processor, it is easier to process the vegetables with a little of the liquid, adding the remaining liquid to the processed vegetables to make the soup."
Season to taste and serve piping hot with crusty bread. To make ahead, cool the soup completely, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days, and reheat thoroughly before serving.
