Roast Squash, Thyme & Pine Nut Soup

Total: 50 mins

Take organic butternut squash on a flavour trip to Italy by blitzing it with a sharp dash of balsamic vinegar, sweet roasted garlic and fragrant thyme leaves, topped off with buttery toasted pine nuts.

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388 kcal
(per portion)

Ingredients you'll need

1 butternut squash
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
A handful of thyme, leaves only
2 garlic cloves
1 red onion
25g pine nuts

From your kitchen

2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
800ml hot water

You'll need

Vegetable peeler
Deep roasting tin
Small frying pan
Measuring jug
Stick blender or blender

Step by step this way

1.
Preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 5. Trim and halve the squash. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon (see our tip on how to use them). Cut the squash into 2-3cm thick cubes (no need to peel it unless you want to). Tumble them into a deep roasting tin. Drop in the whole garlic cloves. Drizzle over 2 tbsp olive oil and add some salt and pepper. Slide into the oven to roast for 20 mins.
2.
While the squash roasts, peel and chop the red onion into thick wedges. Pick the thyme leaves.
3.
Place a small frying pan on a medium heat, tip in the pine nuts and toast them for 2-3 mins, shaking the pan, till golden. Tip out into a small bowl.
4.
When the squash has roasted for 20 mins, pluck the garlic out of the tin. Add the onion to the tin. Pour over 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and toss together. Slide back into the oven for 20 mins.
5.
Meanwhile, use the back of a knife to squeeze the garlic flesh from its skin. Fill the kettle and boil it.
6.
Remove the tin from the oven. Add the peeled garlic to the tin along with most of the thyme leaves. Pour in 800ml hot water from the kettle. Using a hand-held blender, blitz till smooth and silky. Alternatively, tip the roast veg into a blender, add the water and blitz. Taste the soup and add more salt or pepper if you think it needs it.
7.
Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Top with the pine nuts and the reserved thyme leaves, and crack over some black pepper to serve.

Tip
To peel or not to peel
The skin on the butternut squash is edible and will soften during cooking, so no need to peel your squash.
Tip
Low Waste, No Waste
Squash seeds tip
Tip
Eat me, keep me
Pour the soup into individual containers, without the topping and seal. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost completely in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a pan or microwave till piping hot, then scatter over the topping to serve.

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