Butternut soup

I know it’s been raining a lot but it’s quite mild out. Which means summer is coming which means bare legs and vest tops. We need to get our act together at Landcroft House. We have a family membership at Jags sports club, costs £65ish a month, gets used once a month. From now on we are going to exercise, watch our calorie and booze intake (although we’re going to the East Dulwich Forum wine tasting at Green & Blue tonight which is not a good start). I am going to walk everywhere. I am going use that giant butternut squash to make a very healthy soup for tonight’s tea.

Everyday butternut soup
Serves 2
Just 248 kcal per large serving!
Butternut squash is very high in Vitamin A (nice hair and skin) and C and is also a good source of fibre, Vitamin E and calcium.
800g butternut squash or small pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed
500g ripe tomatoes, quartered
2 garlic cloves, quartered
1 tsp olive oil
2 chillies, halved, seeded and roughly chopped
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp dark muscovado
1.2 litres hot chicken or vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Place the pumpkin, tomatoes and garlic in a large, deep roasting tin. Season well with salt and pepper, drizzle over the oil and roast for 30 minutes until the pumpkin feels tender when pierced with a knife.

Sprinkle over the chillies, ginger and sugar then pour over the hot stock. Return to the oven for 20 minutes. Puree roughly with a potato masher or blitz with a hand blender depending on how smooth you like your soup.