Spiced butternut squash soup

Colourful and smooth, with a touch of spice, this is a great autumn and winter warmer. For a change of texture, I keep a few pieces of the roasted squash back, cut them into little cubes, then stir them into the puréed soup when reheating.

SERVES 6

1 butternut squash, about 1.1kg (2½ lb) 2 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground cumin 3 tbsp olive oil, plus 2 tsp extra for frying ¼ tsp dried crushed chillies salt and freshly ground black pepper 25g (scant 1oz) butter 1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped 2 carrots, about 350g (12oz) in total, peeled and roughly chopped 1 celery stick, trimmed and roughly chopped 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped 1.4 litres (2½ pints) vegetable stock or chicken stock finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

1 Preheat the oven to 200C (fan 180C/400F/gas 6). Deseed the butternut squash as described below, then peel using a small, sharp knife to remove the skin. Cut the squash into wedges and put into a roasting tin.

2 Put the coriander and cumin into a bowl with the oil and pour it over the squash. Scatter the chillies over the squash, toss together to coat, then spread in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until tender.

3 Meanwhile, melt the butter with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in a large pan. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic and fry for 5-8 minutes, or until the onion is beginning to soften.

4 Pour in 1 litre (1¾ pints) stock, bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

5 Break up the roasted squash into smaller pieces to make it easier for puréeing, then scrape and stir the contents of the roasting tin into the pan with the other vegetables. Purée the soup until smooth.

6 Return the soup to the pan and pour in enough of the remaining stock to give the consistency you like. Taste for seasoning, then warm through and serve scattered with a little parsley.

Squash know-how

How to deseed butternut squash

1 Place the squash on a work surface and, holding it firmly, use a chef’s knife to cut it in half lengthways.

2 Using a spoon, scrape around the centre of each squash half to remove the seeds and fibres. Discard.