Butternut Squash, Ginger and Coconut Soup

What a lovely mini Summer we just had but now we are back to what October should be like and I'm glad! Cold and windy with leaves falling off the tree's and crunching underfoot which always puts me in the mood for soup and what could be more autumnal than a big bowl of golden butternut squash soup with the addition of creamy coconut milk, fiery chilli's and warming ginger. I am another of those weirdo's who actually prefer the Autumn and Winter months to the summer.
I love all the food the colder months bring especially Autumn with all those gorgeous vegetables and I can't deny that Christmas is my favourite thing in all the world but enough about that (for now)...

Butternut Squash
Tin of Coconut Milk
2 small Red Chilli's with seeds
Knob of Ginger Grated
1 Diced Onion
Chicken Stock
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper


Peel and chop your butternut squash




Saute your onion, chili and ginger in a pan with a glug of oil


Add the butternut squash and cook for around five min's


Next add the coconut milk, chicken stock and leave to cook until the squash is tender


Blend the soup, season to taste and it's ready to eat, yum indeed.
I have to say this is a very rich and gently warming soup and I think it stands up really well on it's own and you don't need bread but of course you can do whatever you want and have tons of bread of bread with it but don't blame me if you feel sick after....

What ever is in the fridge soup or just 'Fridge Soup'

I really wanted to make a slow cooked beef, tomato and spinach curry for mine and Mercer's dinner tonight and so I went to the shop's to get all the bit's that I needed and came back home and put it all away only to get a phone call from Mercer explaining that he would be staying out with friends until,late so not to worry about dinner. Well to be honest I was slightly annoyed and may have huffed, puffed and stamped my feet a little as there was no way I wanted to cook a curry just for me. Don't get me wrong though as I will cook extravagantly for myself when ever the fancy takes me, but I really wanted to enjoy this with another person!
So instead I searched the fridge to see what i could find and I pulled out several large carrot's, a couple of small potato's, half a butternut squash, a large red onion , fresh ginger and some roast chicken left from Sundays lunch and I thought the most logical thing to do was make it into soup which is exactly what i did by sweating all the veg and ginger in butter, olive oil, turmeric, garam masala and cumin seeds for about 5 Min's and then added vegetable bouillon and simmered until the potato's were cooked, blended it all before returning it to the pan and putting shredded chicken in and the topping with coriander and pumpkin seeds!!! In the end I was glad Mercer stayed out because it was one of the best soups I have made and I am rather fabulous at making soup!

Chicken stock and spicy soup.

After yesterdays heart warming and stomach filling roast chicken I am definitely in the mood for something lighter and have decided to make a nourishing soup with the chicken carcass and whatever I have left in the fridge which generally turns out rather well. I took off all the remaining meat from the bird which will be used in sandwiches, pasta or perhaps even a pie filling during the week and then placed the carcass in a large pot of boiling water with carrots, onions, leeks, bay leaves and peppercorns, usually I would put some fresh herbs in to but had none to hand so I make do without. I made my stock at lunchtime so it would have a few hours to simmer down and reduce to get every last scrap of delicious chicken flavour out of those bones, skimming the fat and scum off the top as I went.
After having a rummage in the fridge I have come up with a butternut squash, carrots, parsnips and ginger which seems a perfect combination for a fabulous soup, especially as I have that gorgeous savour stock waiting to be used in it. I decided to roast my butternut squash and parsnips and while they baked I sweated onions, garlic, carrots and ginger in olive oil and decided to raid my spice cupboard and decided to add garam masala, cumin seeds, start anise and a Cinnamon stick for a spicy depth and warmth.
When the squash was ready I scooped out the sticky fleshy middle and added it to my pan before pouring over my stock and then hand blending and seasoning with cracked pepper and a bit of creme fraiché... delicious.