Soup Three Ways
A wholesome spiced butternut squash soup that can be enjoyed as it is or adapted into a new soup with any of these three topping ideas here.
Servings: 4 People
Ingredients
Soup Base
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- 1 Large Onion roughly chopped
- 2 Carrots peeled and chopped into 2cm pieces
- 2 Sticks of Celery chopped into ½ thumb pieces
- 2 Cloves of Garlic - Sliced
- 1 Small Leek sliced
- 1 ½ tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- ½ a bunch of Thyme leaves chopped
- 1 kg Butternut Squash peeled, deseeded and cubed
- 1 litre Vegetable Stock
- 100g Fresh Spinach
- Juice of 1 Lemon
Toppings Suggestions
Homemade Croutons & Seasoned Seeds
- 2-3 Slices of Bread any crusty bread such Tiger bread, Sourdough etc
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
- Sea Salt & Pepper
- 1 tsp Soy Sauce
- 6 tbsp Mixed Seeds
Toasted Pine Nuts & Pesto Topping
- 1 tbsp Pesto
- 1 tbsp Pine Nuts
- 1 tbsp Dairy Free Cream
Spiced Chickpeas & Chilli Topping
- 1 Red Chilli de-seeded and finely chopped
- 1 x 400g Can of Chickpeas drained
- 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
For the Soup Base
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Fry the onions, carrot and celery until soft. Add the leeks and garlic. Fry for a few minutes until the leek is soft.
- Add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and thyme. Stir for a minute then add the squash and stock and bring to the boil before simmering for 45 minutes.
- Once the squash is tender and starting to break up, stir through the spinach and lemon juice. Ladle out ¼ of the soup into a separate pan. Blend the remaining ¾ until smooth.
- Serve with your choice of three topping ideas below - the croutons go really well with the chunky soup.
Homemade Croutons & Seasoned Seeds Topping
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Tear up a couple of slices of bread into roughly 2cm pieces, spread across a baking sheet and coat the bread in the olive oil, pinch of sea salt, freshly ground pepper and the fennel seeds.
- Place in the oven for 10 minutes shaking half way through until the bread is golden brown and crisp.
- Place the croutons in a bowl and set aside. Lower the oven temperature to 160C then shake the seeds on the baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes or until the seeds start to pop
- These toppings work really well with your chunky soup. Ladle the soup into a bowl, then scatter the toasted seeds and homemade croutons on top.
Toasted Pine Nuts & Pesto Topping
- Gently dry-fry your pine nuts to toast them. Serve your warm soup into bowls then swirl through your pesto and cream and finish with the pine nuts.
Spiced Chickpeas & Chilli Topping
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C and shake everything together except the chilli in a large baking tray. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes giving the tray a little shake to turn the chickpeas half way through cooking. Once they’re crispy, serve your soup with a generous helping of chickpeas scattered across the top and a large pinch of fresh chilli (depending how much you like spice!).