Butternut Squash Soup (with secret ingredient!)

This is one of my favourite soups, partly because of the way it starts with a weird gourd that I would pretty much have never thought was edible. Also, of course, because it has this luxurious texture and a taste that's almost the perfect distillation of a warm, cozy gathering on a cool autumn evening.



Fall vegetables are the core of a soup like this so squash, carrots, onion and garlic get prepped first.

• Cut and core the squash chopping into 2-inch chunks 
• Cut the onion into strips, because the little diced ones are a real hassle to pick up later with the tongs. 
• Peel and cut the carrots into 2-inch chunks, splitting the larger end in half (I used four long carrots for this) 
• Cut the top off a bulb of garlic, drizzle with oil and wrap in foil The key to much of the flavor in the soup is the roasting process that comes next. Toss the veggies in a bit of olive oil and roast at 350/400 for about an hour or until everything's soft (you should be able to push a paring knife easily through a well-roasted carrot). 

Meanwhile... clean up a bit. Once the roasting is close to done:

• Bring a litre of chicken broth to a boil and add a bay leaf 
• Peel the skin off the squash and transfer the veggies to the pot 
• Squeeze the roasted garlic out into the pot and make a disgusting noise while you do so to irritate your wife (or get your kids to help with the sound effects) 
• Add a cup or so of cream (and/or egg nog, if you dare. I'd never used egg nog before, but it worked out great!) 
• Simmer until the veggies are really soft—like, 20 minutes or maybe 30 while you set the table and get out the blender. 
• Pour the soup into a large bowl and ladle about half the mixture into the blender. USE THE LID OF THE BLENDER! This is hot soup and the thickness can easily create viscous bubbles that will splash molten squash purée on you and everything else in the kitchen (this is not a hypothetical scenario) 
• Purée the mix until it's smooth, adding as much hot water as it takes to get it all moving. 
• Pour the first half back into the (cleaned) original pot and repeat. Add salt, pepper, sugar, syrup or whatever else you want to taste. 

Serve it up with fresh bread and just think what a great meal can come from such funny looking foods.

Dedicated to Andi Murray who is, in part, responsible for the origins of this blog.