“Come in from the cold to a warming bowlful of autumn”

• 1 kg butternut squash, peeled and deseeded
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 2 red chillies (mild), deseeded and finely chopped
• 850 ml vegetable stock, hot
• 4 tbsp creme fraiche, plus more to serve

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cut the squash into large cubes, about 4cm/1½in across, then toss in a large roasting tin with half the olive oil. Roast for 30 mins, turning once during cooking, until golden and soft.

While the squash cooks, melt the butter with the remaining oil in a large saucepan, then add the onions, garlic and ¾ of the chilli. Cover and cook on a very low heat for 15-20 mins until the onions are completely soft.

Tip the squash into the pan, add the stock and the crème fraîche, then whizz with a stick blender until smooth. For a really silky soup, put the soup into a liquidiser and blitz it in batches. Return to the pan, gently reheat, then season to taste. Serve the soup in bowls with swirls of crème fraîche and a scattering of the remaining chopped chilli.

Notes : We used Soya Cream instead of creme fraiche as well as pumpkin in leu of butternut squash

Source : Good Food : October 2009

Servings/Yield : 4 servings

Rating : 5 out of 5

Difficulty : Easy

Preparation Times : Prep: 15 Minutes Cook: 50 Minutes

Nutritional notes : Per Serving: 264 kcalories, protein 5g, carbohydrate 28g, fat 15 g, saturated fat 7g, fibre 6g, salt 0.61 g (These figures will be a hell of a lot lower with the Soya Cream alternative)

Tags: chili, chilli, fall, goodfood, halloween, october, pumpkin, soup, spicy, squash, vegetarian, warming soup