Recipe: roasted butternut squash and butter bean soup

 . . . with hardly any added fat!


Ingredients to make three good portions (sorry, freezer)
one small (home grown) butternut squash or half of the ones you can buy in the shops
spray oil
some butter beans (see below), soaked and cooked
half a medium carrot, topped or tailed, washed and cut into chunks
two 'slices' of celery *
half a medium onion, peeled and chopped
one vegetable stock pot (or other stock of choice)
a good pinch of mixed herbs
a squidge of garlic puree
a squidge of chilli puree
some pepper
pinch of salt - not too much as you can always add more later

Method:
preheat the oven to about 170C
Cut the squash in half longways and then cut each piece in half longways again.  Scoop out the seeds.  Spray each piece with oil, place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until the flesh is soft.  Take it out and let it cool a bit.  Then scrape out all the flesh and discard the rind.
The butter beans should be more or less the same amount as the squash by volume

In a pan place the squash, the beans, the carrot, celery and onion.  Add the stock pot, herbs, garlic, pepper, salt and chilli.  Top up to about 1 litre in total with water.

Cover, bring to a gentle boil and simmer until all the veg is soft.

Then either use a stick blender or another blender and zizz it all until it is very smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings as required.  If it is too thick you can add m ore water or, for a creamier taste, some milk.

*  I don't pull off ribs of celery and then chop the rib, I keep them attached and slice right across the top as many times as needed.  Much easier!