Winter squash soup

Ingredients/equipment

1 Winter Squash*, 800-1000g, cut into pieces and de-seeded (de-skin later after cooking)

1 Onion, finely chopped

Garlic, 2-3 cloves (or more if you wish)

Coriander, bunch roughly chopped

Vegetable stock (good quality), 600ml (to start you may need more later)

Sunflower/olive oil, 1 tablespoon

Hand blender

Method

Bake squash for 30-40 mins at 200C or 180C  (Fan oven) until soft and only very slightly browned OR steam squash for 25-30mins (flavour not as good but it's a quicker option). This is best done in advance of the next step because it's difficult to remove the skins of very hot squash. The cooked flesh can be frozen for use later.

The garlic can be baked with the squash if preferred but add halfway. When cooked and soft scrap the flesh from the skins.

Make the soup by frying the onion gently in the oil until soft (don't brown it) about 10-15 mins in a large saucepan/pot.  If you haven't baked the garlic with the squash add it to the onion near the end when the onion is almost ready. Add some water if the onion starts to stick.

When the onion has softened take of the heat add the squash and mash it up then add the vegetable stock and cook for 10 mins on a low heat, it should thicken up and do a mud pool imitation. Add the coriander and ground black pepper (it shouldn't need salt but check the taste and season if needed). Take it off the heat (and I recommend putting it in your sink on a trivet/heatproof board if your sink can't take the heat) and use the hand blender to blend into a smooth consistency.

Reheat and if it is too thick dilute with more stock or milk. It should be quite a thick soup.

* The squash used for this should have a dry, mealy texture when cooked as found in Kaboucha types (Buttercup) usually dark green with silver/grey stripes or Crown Prince. Other squash maybe too watery to make this recipe or require thickening e.g. with potato or a roux.