Autumnal Sweet Potato & Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

• 25g butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 1kg or medium-sized butternut squash, deseeded and cut into 2cm pieces
• 1kg sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2cm piece
• 3 medium-sized carrots, peeled and chopped
• A thumb of fresh ginger, peeled with a spoon and roughly chopped
• 1 litre of vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 x 400ml light coconut milk
• Freshly ground salt and pepper

Optional Garnishes

• Fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• Chilli flakes
• Sourdough croutons
• Pumpkin seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Coconut cream to swirl
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced

Method

1. Place butter and oil in a large heavy-based saucepan on the boiling plate or induction hob and heat until butter has melted.
2. Add the onion and sauté until soft, stirring all the time. Add the sweet potato, squash and carrots and sauté until beginning to soften. Stir in the chopped ginger and cook for 1 minute.
3. Pour in the stock and bring soup to the boil. Allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes on the boiling or simmering plate or induction hob until vegetables are all really soft. Cover with a lid to reduce the cooking time.
4. Allow to cool slightly before blending to a smooth soup. Return to the saucepan, stir in the cream and bring back up to a gentle simmer until your desired consistency is reached. If the soup is too thick, add more stock. If too thin, keep simmering until some of the water has evaporated.
5. Season to taste and garnish before serving

Make Ahead: This soup can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator. Keep in mind that the soup will thicken up quite a bit as it cools, so you'll need to add a bit of water or broth to thin it back to the right consistency upon reheating.

Notes: The soup can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. (It may thicken up a bit while in the freezer; if so, just thin it out with a bit of water or broth while reheating.)