We rolled up from London last night heaving sighs of relief to be back.
The cats were a bit crabby and there was no heat or hot water–but there’s no place like home, Toto!
Nephew Dominic had kindly laid two fires and we were soon hunkered down in the kitchen, eating plates of rather too al-dente penne in tomato sauce!–a glass or two of Italian red softened us up at least.
Sitting in the larder was a butternut squash– looking a little hurt at being neglected for two weeks.
Well–this evening it will help keep our bodies warm and our spirits up, transformed into:
Simple Butternut Squash Soup
for 4
1 onion–chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 butternut squash–peeled and medium diced
leaves from 3/4 sprigs of fresh thyme–chopped
1 small dry red chili
1.5 pints/just over a litre of stock
salt and pepper
a good grating of nutmeg
dry roasted pumpkin seeds–lightly crushed
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan.
- Add the onion and sweat on a low heat for 5 minutes until soft.
- Add the squash, the chili, the thyme and turn the whole mix over.
- Season with salt and pepper–remembering that the stock will have salt in it.
- Add the stock, bring it slowly up to the boil and let it simmer until the squash is tender.
- Remove the chili and let the soup cool a little before liquidising it.
- Check the seasoning–mine needed more salt.
- Serve hot with the pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top.
Robin Ellis 
Gorgeous soup with lovely flavours – and it looks so pretty too!
Welcome back! The soup sounds perfect. I’ve bought the pre-made stuff & like it a lot, but this seems easy enough to try myself.
Crabby cats, huh? If they’re anything like ours, I’m sure all will be forgiven & they won’t leave your side when you go to bed!
Cheers & hugs,
Dianne
This looks so warming and inviting just right for a wet and windy night by the fire .Hope your cats have forgiven you.
Hello to you too!
Yes, cats have a wonderful way of showing you that they’ve missed you. Mine do the same. At the end of the day they forgive you for leaving them.
Soup sounds nice, will try that, someday.
Nice to see you back, I’ve missed your daily postings. Hope you had a good time.
I’ve received your book from Amazon, it’s lovely to browse through all the wonderfully simple yet delicious sounding recipes, and the illustrations are really nice.
I also have a butternut squash that’s been waiting for me to decide what to do with it – I normally just roast it sprinkled with paprika and olive oil. Nice enough, but since I have a cold I think your soup would go down a treat.
Have to see the dietician Monday – that should be interesting! (You may remember me telling you recently I’m a newly-diagnosed Type 2).
Regards
Sooze
Welcome back at home!!! Done soup: perfect, very confortable for this cold days and delicious, thank you!!!
Hello Beatrice!–a la prossima!!
Welcome home, Robin and Meredith.
I too have been doing a deal of travelling lately and agree that home is always best; the most relaxing place to be.
Butternuts are so versatile aren’t they? I often make soup with them and have found that adding some smoked bacon makes an interesting change. In a few days I will try your version here with the pumpkin seeds – it sounds delicious.
I made the mistake of leaving a leek in the fridge and returned to find it trying to climb out! How is it they grow in those conditions? A mystery – still it was perfectly edible.
Smoked bacon bits–delicious.
Surely, next time! And “off” the caos of centre of Florence: there was too much people and too much confusion…unlucky ;((
I love this soup! Thanks for this recipe
[…] A wonderful autumn glow emerges, mustardy yellow–warming heart and body–as in the soup below (recipe here). […]