Super Squash Soup

Suitable for vegetarians

Calling it "Super Squash Soup" may be a little OTT but I felt that the fact it requires so little effort to be so tasty does render it pretty super! Hearty, healthy and packed full of flavour, this soup is perfect for lunchtime with brown bread or some croutons. - Bekki

Ingredients;

Knob of butter

1 butternut squash (medium in size)
1 onion (red or white, your choice)

2 white potatoes

1 stick of celery

1 carrot

2 vegetable stock cubes

Salt & pepper to taste

Equipment;

Large heavy based saucepan

Blender

Method;

• Begin by prepping your veg. Peel, remove seeds and dice the squash. 
• Peel and chop the potatoes, carrot and onion.
• Chop the celery.
• In the pan, place the knob of butter in to melt. Once melted, add your onion, celery and carrot to soften. You want the onions to begin to turn translucent. Be careful not to let anything catch as this will affect the end result.
• Once the onion, carrot and celery are softened, add your squash and potatoes along with 500ml of stock made with 2 stock cubes. You may need to add a little more water to this - you want the vegetables to all be covered but not too submerged.
• Bring the pan to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and leave for 35-45 minutes.
• After this time, the vegetables should all be tender but not mushy.
• Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes just to make the next step a little less hazardous.
• If your using a hand blender, go right ahead and blitz until smooth. If you are using a stand blender, you may need to blend the soup in 2 batches. This will prevent any overflow. 
• Blend until smooth. The soup will be thick but shouldn't be coarse. 
• Taste and add and seasoning you think it requires. I usually go for a few twists of pepper and a sprinkle of salt.
• Enjoy right away or store in airtight containers and warm up at a later date. This will keep in the fridge for 7 days.

Verdict;

This soup isn't a watery, tasteless affair. It's packed full of flavour and with excellent texture. It's lovely if you add in a pinch or two of dried coriander. I got 1.5ltrs of soup from this recipe so have enough for several servings. Loads of veg means it's guilt free too. What more could you want from soup?!