Mary Berry's butternut squash soup gets its rich flavour from an unusual cupboard ingredient: honey. The recipe roasts the vegetables before blending, and a drizzle of honey over the squash five minutes before the end of cooking encourages deeper caramelisation, enhancing the soup's natural sweetness without making it overly sugary.
Roasting Brings Out Flavour Without Dairy
The recipe notes state: "This easy butternut squash recipe is flavoured with red pepper and ginger and then blended until silky smooth. Roasting the squash, rather than boiling it in a pan, really brings out the flavour in the vegetables to make a rich-tasting soup without any added dairy."
The honey adds an additional dimension of flavour, bringing depth to the soup while eliminating any bitterness.
Ingredients and Method
The ingredients include one tin of tomato soup, 150ml double cream, half a teaspoon of garlic powder, half a teaspoon of onion powder, one teaspoon of Italian seasoning, a quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper, half a teaspoon of salt, a quarter teaspoon of black pepper, Parmesan cheese, and fresh basil.
To make the soup, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan. Transfer the prepared squash into a large bowl or resealable freezer bag, add the onion, carrots, red pepper and half the oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss until the vegetables are evenly coated, then spread them in a single layer in a large roasting tin.
Finishing and Serving
Roast 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.
Next, set a large, deep-sided saucepan over a medium heat, pour in the remaining oil and gently fry the ginger for one minute. Add the stock and bring to the boil, then fold in the roasted vegetables and season with salt and pepper.
Take the pan off the heat and blitz the mixture with a hand blender until smooth. Return to the heat to warm through before serving piping hot alongside some crusty bread.
