… this british weather has been so unpredictable lately… it’s as though the summer simply doesn’t want to let go but instead of a glorious end to the season we’re getting a grumpy teenager of an Indian Summer… some days it’s a little bit moody, sometimes it’s as bright and happy as a lark… quite frankly it needs a good slap so we can all get on with warm jumpers and stodgy food.
soup is always a good bridging meal I feel and a great way to pack in the flavour, taste and goodness of seasonal vegetables. This soup is ridiculously easy to make as it’s all roasted in one pan and then dumped into the stock to simmer for a few minutes before blitzing but no-one would know you hadn’t slaved over a hot soup pan because of the glorious velvety nature of butternut squash that adds such a luxuriant quality to the soup… don’t be too shocked here but I actually think butternut squash is quite a bland vegetable unless you do something with it before hand so the roasting alongside other veg really helps…
organic roast butternut squash soup with thyme focaccia
as september draws to it’s inevitable conclusion so along with it goes it’s organic companion… although i’m hoping i’ve helped a few of you consider sprinkling a little organic produce in your weekly shop and I also hope you’ve enjoyed my organic recipes along the way… it’s been great being part of the Organic. Naturally Different. campaign… do click on the link for a great round-up of all my recipes and the some others too… here’s a classic for you to round it all up…
for the soup
1 butternut squash – peeled and roughly chopped
2 potatoes – roughly chopped
1 onions – peeled and roughly chopped
1 large carrot – chopped
5 garlic cloves
2 large sprigs of thyme
salt and pepper and olive oil
3 pints good veg stock
start with the soup by placing all the veg into a roasting tin, season and sprinkle with a little sugar and olive oil then cover with foil and bake on 170C for 30 mins, then remove the foil and roast for another 15 mins until the veg are soft and starting to caramelise a little
place the veg into a large pan along with the stock and simmer for 15 mins and then blitz into a smooth soup
to make the focaccia, in a large bowl add the flour, yeast, salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, oil you hands and bring the whole thing together… it’s a very wet dough so the oiled hands help… knead in the bowl for 5 minutes then set aside covered with a cloth for 10 minutes after which you knead again in the bowl for 5 minutes – cover with cling film and let it rise for an hour or until doubled in size
Oooh this sounds perfect for today, I am off to buy a squash! Thanks!
Your soup sounds wonderful and as for the focaccia………..it looks like it was made by you know who.
(Select favourite TV baker according to taste!)
Ah, the weather … it's not really worth talking about. However, the soup is. It really sounds great and along with the focaccia it's a lovely meal. I really should get some squash again this year … eh … and season.
Two LOVELY recipes Dom! I also featured a roast butternut squash soup on my last organic meal plan and I LOVE its silky texture! Yours looks divine,as does that lovely focaccia too! Karen
We had Butternut and Tomato soup today, made with stock from last night's chicken; a soup that would be hard to beat for sheer depth of flavour. didn't have home-made focaccia though! 🙁
Loved your description of the Autumn-ish weather.
Pumpkin…….bland…..noooooooooo. Its one of my very favourite vegetables so versatile. Lends itself to sweet and savoury so easily, and what could be better than a hearty soup with dip-dip focaccia.
Try roasting a head of garlic alongside the butternut and then squeezing the roasted and by then very soft and nutty garlic into the soup before you pruée it – delish!
I kind of agree and always roast squash before making soup with it. This looks lovely. We make focaccia a lot. We managed to get a great sourdough starter (my husband did a course with Dan Lepard!) and this has been making great foccacia amongst other things. Thyme works so well with this kind of bread. Perfect autumn meal Dom 🙂
Looks wonderfully warming and delicious. As I just discovered quite a few gigantic Mother Hubbard squash lurking in the garden yesterday, very glad to see a squash recipe.
Both the soup and the bread look fantastic!! Can't wait for it to start cooling off around here.. I have been craving soup .. but it's hard to make when it's still in the 100's!!!
Mmm! This soup and focaccio is SO my modus operandi at this time of year! Thanks for sparking the inspiration, Dom!
The thyme focaccia is just the perfect companion to dunk in that velvety butternut squash soup. The look so elegant together, and delicious of course 🙂
Just mouthwatering…looks delicious!
really like both recipes. I'm gonna keep them to make it 🙂