,¸¸,ø¤º°`° Quick and Easy Winter Squash Soup. `°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º (Starters)

Member Name: malibu_jenny

Product:	Starters
Date:	08/01/08 (94 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Warming, comforting, economic and very tasty.

Disadvantages: Doesn't last nearly long enough!

Dad frequently makes his own soup. A foul smelling concoction, it shows its Scottish roots with an odd consistency (boiled lumps floating in hot water) and a list of unappealing ingredients. Nettles? Two bulbs of garlic? Anyone? I grew up hating soup for these reasons and was recently converted when I made my own beautiful soup with leftover Butternut Squash. If you want to cook something that will really impress guests or become a family favourite, you can't go far wrong with this.

This is an incredibly easy to make starter, which I've often served up as a light meal. This warming, tasty soup is brilliant with home-made bread or shop bought rolls and butter. It's sweet and thick enough to please even soup haters like The Boyfriend and makes an inspirational change from bog standard stuff like Leek and Potato or the dreaded Heinz Tomato soup. On top of all this, you can freeze it in portions and reheat in the microwave as a snack. I've kept it for up to two months with no problems (it's never stayed in the freezer any longer than that because we love it so much.)

You will need:

A large saucepan
A wooden spoon
A blender (tabletop, handheld or worst ways a potato masher and a lot of energy will do)
A sharp knife; a bread knife is pretty good.

Time required:
Around half an hour depending on how quick you are at chopping.

Ingredients:

*** Half a butternut squash. The easiest way to make this is to cut off the bulb bit off a whole squash and use the slimmer top bit. It saves fishing about with seeds and the like and you can roast the rest in olive oil with another meal. £1.19 for a whole squash or 60p for half.
*** 1 Tablespoon Margarine - I prefer to use the ones that simulate butter to bring out the best in this. £1.18 for a whole tub or 4p per spoonful.
*** 300ml Vegetable Stock - Kallo or similar is fine. Around 14p each.
*** 100ml Milk - Optional. You can use skimmed milk if you're on a diet or no milk at all for a vegan friendly version. 40p per pint or 7p for 100ml.
*** Allspice
*** Salt & Pepper
*** 1/3 of a white Onion. Cost of a loose onion, 11p.

Cost.
The Prices are based on the current rate at Tesco and allow for you already having salt, pepper and allspice. The total cost for the ingredients used comes in at £1.02, or 26p per serving. Who says fancy food has to be expensive?!

How to do it:

Finely chop the white onion and soften in 1 level tablespoon of margarine (use a large saucepan). That is to say, don't fry it until it's crispy, just gently cook it in the margarine.

Add the butternut squash (chopped up into little pieces, about 1cm) and the vegetable stock.

Simmer until the squash is soft, around 10 minutes. The water should be orange and the squash almost mushy. Add a pinch of allspice a tiny bit of salt and a bit of black pepper.

Let it cool so that it doesn't damage your blender. Pour it in and whizz it gently. Don't over blend it as it will become thin and unappetising; you're looking for a slightly grainy, wholesome consistency.

Heat the 100ml milk until boiling and stir the two together in the saucepan for a perfect creamy soup.

Serving:
This makes around 4 servings as a starter and looks lovely in a white bowl garnished with a sprig of parsley. For a really magical touch, use a cocktail stick and a tiny bit of milk to create a white swirl on top. It's best served with warm crusty bread or a fresh green salad, but you could also try adding croutons.

Summary: If you're sitting there wondering what to do for dinner....