Squash, chilli and turmeric soup

I love autumn for so many reasons, including the beautiful winter squashes it comes up with and the opportunities they give for warming soups and curries. Squash is full of antioxidants and phytonutrients, and the orange/red ones will zing you up with betacarotene too. You can use any winter squash for this soup and it will be equally as delicious.

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 40 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 winter squashes, roughly the size of a cantaloupe melon each. Peeled, de-seeded and chopped into large chunks
1 large onion, skinned and chopped finely
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
1-2 red chillies de-seeded and chopped
1L of vegetable stock – can use a cube or two if none in stock
500g of creme fraiche
2 teaspoons of turmeric
2 level teaspoons of chilli flakes
sea salt
olive oil

Instructions

Heat the oven to 200 degrees; place the squash chunks on a baking tray, drizzle some olive oil over and bake for about 25-30 mins until soft.

Gently fry the onion, garlic and chilli in olive oil, til softened but not brown. Add the turmeric and some sea salt, stir.

Now add the cooked squash and the stock and creme fraiche. Heat for a couple of minutes.

Blend in a couple of batches, until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more if necessary.

Pour the soup back into a large saucepan to reheat. Serve sprinkled with chilli flakes and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

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Nutrition Info

Squash

Squash is fantastic for anti-inflammation. Inflammation happens inside the body in the vessels and gut, just as it does on the outside when we injure ourselves; just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there, it is and it precedes some serious illnesses. We should all pay far more attention to preventing inflammation and eating more squash is a tasty way to do it, especially as it also provides vitamin A for healthy eyes and vitamin C for immunity and skin health.

Worries go down better with soup than without

Jewish proverb