Zero Fat Roast Butternut Squash & Thyme Soup

This is a ‘zero point’ soup, that has winter written all over it. So simply and quick to make, you can get on with other chores around the kitchen whilst its cooking. By roasting the squash first, this releases all the natural sugars and carmelises the squash, giving dense sweet squash. 

Also by roasting garlic in its skins, mellows the flavour of the garlic, giving a rich sweet taste. Garlic is completely transformed when roasted in its skins, and is not as bitter or strong. The use of thyme in this soups gives a warming wintery flavour.

Ingredients

·         1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed

·         1 leek, shredded

·         1 onion, diced

·         1 carrot, peeled and grated

·         5 sprigs of thyme

·         1 bay leaf

·         2 tbsp of olive oil

·         Salt & pepper

·         3 cloves of garlic, skin on.

·         1 vegetable stock cube

Method

1.       Preheat oven to 180 degrees

2.       Add 3 sprigs of thyme, 1 tbsp of oil, butternut squash and garlic to a roasting tray.

3.       Roast for 20 minutes.

4.       In a saucepan, gently fry onion, leek and carrot with the remaining oil, and 2 sprigs thyme.

5.       Open the vegetables are softened, add the stock cube and 1 litre of water from a recently boiled kettle.

6.       Add the roasted squash.

7.       Remove the garlic from its skins, and chop finely. Add this to the soup with a bay leaf.

8.       Boil to a rolling boil, and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.

9.       Remove the bay leaf, season with salt and pepper and whizz till smooth with hand held blender. Careful not to burn yourself with splashes.

Serve with garlic bread or croutons for an elegant starter, with a blob of cream or yogurt.

 Or as a low fat lunch, serve with green salad and some melba toasts.

This soup keeps well, cooled in air-tight container for 2-3 days.