Winter squash soup with chipotle, roasted garlic + crunchy seeds

This recipe can be made with pumpkin, or any variety of winter squash, but I really love the red kuri squash for its sweet and nutty flavour. This is a favourite for autumn/winter thanks to its comforting warmth, simplicity and resourcefulness – with its deep orange colour and smoky chipotle heat it’s like winter in a bowl. Nothing is wasted here as you use both the soft skin and the crunchy roasted seeds of the squash to add some texture to the soup.

INGREDIENTS

5 fat garlic cloves

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for coating the squash

1 large red kuri squash or a medium-sized pumpkin

3 teaspoons chipotle chilli powder or cayenne pepper, (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon garlic granules

knob butter

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 white onion, finely sliced

100ml white wine vinegar

1 bay leaf

1 litre Chicken stock (+ poached chicken breast), (preferably homemade)

or 1 litre vegetable stock, (preferably homemade)

2 tablespoons natural plain yoghurt or cultured buttermilk

parmesan, grated

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 160ºC.

Wrap the garlic cloves in foil with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cut the squash in half and scoop the seeds out into a roasting tin, removing as much of the soft, sticky pulp as you can. Toss the seeds with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of chipotle powder, salt and garlic granules and roast them with the foiled garlic for 20 minutes.

Rub the squash all over with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place cut side down on a roasting tray. After 20 minutes add in the squash halves to the oven and roast for a further 35 minutes, or until the flesh of the squash is meltingly tender. Remove the garlic, seeds and squash from the oven and set aside to cool. Chop the squash into chunks. You don’t need to discard the skin unless it’s tough and the soft flesh is naturally coming away from it.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and fry your onion slices with the bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of chipotle powder and a pinch of salt until the onions are soft and fragrant. Deglaze with the vinegar.

Add in the squash, the softened garlic cloves and the stock, and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10–15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, add in 2 tablespoons of yoghurt or buttermilk and using a stick blender or food processor, purée to a smooth soup consistency, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Serve scattered with the crunchy roasted seeds and grated Parmesan.

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