Mary Berry adds a drizzle of honey to her butternut squash soup to boost flavour and richness. The ingredient helps the squash brown more deeply and enhances the soup's natural sweetness without overpowering it, while also removing any bitterness.
Roasting Brings Out Flavour
The recipe notes explain that roasting the squash, rather than boiling it, really brings out the flavour in the vegetables to make a rich-tasting soup without any added dairy. The soup is flavoured with red pepper and ginger and then blended until silky smooth.
Ingredients and Method
The ingredients include 1.5kg peeled and de-seeded butternut squash cut into 3cm cubes, one large onion roughly chopped, two medium carrots peeled and chopped, one red pepper de-seeded and cut into cubes, four tablespoons of olive oil, one tablespoon of honey, 5cm fresh root ginger peeled and chopped, and 1.5L vegetable stock.
To make it, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan, then tip the prepared squash into a large bowl or a resealable freezer bag. Add the onion, carrots, red pepper and half the oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss everything together until the vegetables are evenly coated. Tip into a large roasting tin and spread out to form a single layer.
Adding the Honey
Roast in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until tender and tinged brown at the edges. Drizzle the honey over five minutes before the end of cooking. A drizzle of honey adds a layer of complexity, bringing various flavours to the soup and removing any bitterness.
Next, place a large, deep-sided saucepan over medium heat, add the remaining oil, and fry the ginger for a minute. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil, then stir in the roasted vegetables and add salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and blend the mixture with a hand blender until smooth. Return to the heat to warm through and serve hot with crusty bread.
