Roasted Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Soup

This is simply delicious, but not exactly a speedy soup. However, if you make a big batch of it, all you have to do is heat it up once it is cooked. It makes a great snack, lunch or you can have it in the evening if you don’t feel like having a meal. It is surprisingly filling. 

Why make your own?

Soup can be so speedy if you buy it in the shop so why go to the effort of making your own? Shop soup can have a lot of extras in it that you just don’t need. Also, if you are vegetarian (issues with the stock) or lactose intolerant (lots of shop soup contains dairy) it can be hard to find a suitable soup in a shop. I think making your own is a tastier and healthier option.

Dairy

I love making soup with a little cream but it is the new year, so I decided to make this with a little amount of low-fat yoghurt. If you are lactose intolerant then you can leave it out.

Stock

I never knew stock could be such an issue for people until I met a (vegetarian) friend for lunch, and she had a difficult time finding a soup without chicken stock. If you don’t want to use any stock you don’t have to. This soup has plenty of flavour with the onion, garlic, sweet potato and butternut squash that you don’t have to add stock if you don’t want to or don’t have any.

Why sweet potato and butternut squash soup?

I love sweet potatoes and I have made sweet potato soup on many occasions, but I prefer it with butternut squash as I think these vegetables work really well together. Sweet potato soup on its own can be a little sweet and the butternut squash  balances the taste.

What will you need?

One large or two small sweet potatoes

One butternut squash

One red onion

Stock (optional)

Honey (optional)

Salt and black pepper (optional)

Low-fat yoghurt (optional)

One litre and a half of water

 

How to make sweet potato and butternut squash soup?

Peel one large or two small sweet potatoes and place them in the oven with the butternut squash with olive oil at 190C for 40 minutes. (If you want to have it sweet you can drizzle a little honey over the vegetables for the last ten minutes in the oven. If you want it savory you can add salt and pepper when the soup is ready.)  When the sweet potatoes and butternut squash are almost ready, fry one chopped red onion with some garlic. You can peel off the skin of the butternut squash once it is cooked and chop it in half and scoop out the inside.

Pour one litre and a half of hot water into the pot with the onions and garlic. I added chicken stock, but you can add vegetable stock or leave it out…it’s up to your personal preferences! Add the sweet potatoes and butternut squash, and bring it to the boil. Then let it simmer until the sweet potatoes and butternut squash are mushy. (You can add some yoghurt to the mixture.) Then pour the mixture in the blender and blend…blend…blend!

Some people like thick soup (like in the image above), which can taste a little like baby food. Shop soup tends to be watered down. I like it not too thick but also not like shop soup. I add a little yoghurt on top and have it with toasted wholemeal pita bread. It is very tasty and very filling. I have had this for dinner two nights in a row!

Category : Recipes
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