Beat the cold and the guilt of indulgence during the festive season with a bowl of comforting soup.

After a month of fun (and filling!) festive eats, curl up with a soothing soup for dinner

The humble pumpkin soup gets a lift with the addition of fontina and herbs in this traditional Italian take.

CREMA DI ZUCCA CON FONTINA

Prep time 25 mins Cooking time 1 hour 10 mins Serves 4-6

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1kg butternut squash (about 1), cut into 3cm cubes

1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock

160g fontina cheese, coarsely grated 80g Parmesan, coarsely grated

2 tbsp mascarpone

1 tbsp finely chopped sage

1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary

1 egg yolk

4 thin slices day-old rye bread

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add onion and garlic, and sauté until tender, 10 minutes. Add pumpkin and stock, bring to the simmer, season to taste, reduce heat to low, then cover and cook until pumpkin is very tender, 40-45 minutes. Blend until smooth, then add half the fontina, stir to melt, season to taste and keep warm.

Preheat grill to high. Combine Parmesan, mascarpone, sage, rosemary, egg yolk and remaining fontina in a bowl, and season to taste. Divide soup among oven-proof bowls. Place bread on a tray and grill until golden, 1 minute each side. Spread with cheese mixture, then position on top of soup and place bowls under grill until cheese is golden and melted, 1-2 minutes. Serve hot.