While the fall colours are beautiful, the changing of the seasons means that cooler days are on the way. This recipe for classic Butternut Squash Soup is a wonderful and mouth-watering way to keep warm on cool autumn days!

Ingredients

1 large or 2 small butternut squash
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 good knob ginger, peeled and diced
Good pinch chilli flakes
1 tsp turmeric
1 good tbsp miso paste
1 tin light coconut milk
Juice and zest of 2 limes
Approx 500ml water
250g brown basmati rice
Big bunch coriander

Instructions

Peel the butternut squash, then cut the top cylindrical shape off and chop, then cut the bottom, wider bit, in half length-ways and scoop out and discard the seeds and hairy bits, and roughly chop the flesh. Heat up the olive oil in a large saucepan and sweat the squash along with the onion, garlic, ginger, chilli and turmeric. You can keep a lid on, give it regular stirs and just let everything soften and meld together, flavour wise. Then add the miso and mix it in and add the coconut milk, zest and lime juice. Simmer gently and once the butternut squash is tender add enough water to make sure you can blend it with one of those soup-gun gadget things or else put it in a food processor in batches and blend. Separately, cook the basmati rice in boiling water until it is tender and then drain it. Once the pureed soup is back in the saucepan, add the cooked rice and chopped coriander. Add enough water until you are happy with the consistency. Stir and taste. Adjust the seasoning and then serve hot – or allow to cool down, then re-heat as necessary, adding some extra water to loosen if it goes too thick.

Ith do shàth!