A recipe from Robin Van Creveld, Community Chef, www.communitychef.org.uk.
Serves 2 people
- 1 kilo(s) squash of your choice
- 2 medium cooking apples such as Bramley or Charles Ross
- 2 onions (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 litre reduced salt vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
- 1 tablespoon(s) mild curry powder
- 1 dash(es) salt and pepper, to taste
- Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the onions until they start to brown.
- Add the chopped apples and pumpkin to the pot and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and curry powder and cook for a minute more.
- Add the stock and bring to the boil.
- Reduce heat to a fast simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Blend the soup if you prefer a smooth consistency and season with salt and pepper.
Method
- Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the onions until they start to brown.
- Add the chopped apples and pumpkin to the pot and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and curry powder and cook for a minute more.
- Add the stock and bring to the boil.
- Reduce heat to a fast simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Blend the soup if you prefer a smooth consistency and season with salt and pepper.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo(s) squash of your choice
- 2 medium cooking apples such as Bramley or Charles Ross
- 2 onions (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 litre reduced salt vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
- 1 tablespoon(s) mild curry powder
- 1 dash(es) salt and pepper, to taste
Additional tips:
- Squash are available all through the late autumn and winter. Crown prince, butternut, red onion or kiri kiri squashes have more flavour and a creamier texture than the jack o lanterns pumpkins which are commercially grown for Halloween carving.
- Serve this soup with toasted sesame seeds and a swirl of cream or yoghurt.
- Adding a spoon of seasonal pesto to each serving the soup looks wonderful and adds further depth of flavour.
- Try this easy combination: blend 3 tbsp of toasted hazelnuts, a clove of garlic, and 6 tbsp chopped coriander with 3 tbsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper or a dash of chilli.
- You can also add red lentils to this soup to make it even more hearty and nutritious or make a simple baby food by steaming some extra pumpkin and apple on top of the soup and then mashing them.
- It is cheaper to buy a whole pumpkin and make extra soup or baby food, which you can then freeze.
- This recipe also works well with parsnips instead of squash.