Smokey Butternut Soup

Beautiful smokey pumpkin soup ...so good on a winter night and doesn't take long to make. 

Ingredients
takes about 30 minutes
serves 4

• Large butternut pumpkin (1kg), peeled & chopped into 2 cm pieces (you are going to roast then puree so you don't need to be fussy, just easier if they are a similar size so they cook at the same time)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 8-10 good size garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• sea salt & freshly cracked pepper
• 8 fresh sage leaves (or you could use thyme or basil)
• 1 litre hot chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup single (pouring) cream or thick greek yoghurt
• finely grated fresh nutmeg to serve

This recipe freezes well so you can double the ingredients and freeze some for lunch during the week.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220oC.
   
2. Place pumpkin, onion, garlic cloves on a baking dish & drizzle with oil, season with salt & pepper, paprika & cinnamon then toss to combine. Roast for 10 minutes.
3. Add the sage and roast for a further 10 minutes.
4. Remove sage.
5. Place the pumpkin & onion in a large soup pot and add half the hot stock. 
6. Squeeze the garlic from their skins and add to veges in the pot.
7. Use a hand blender and blend until mixture is smooth.
8. Place pot on a medium heat and add remaining stock, cream (or yoghurt), salt and pepper and cook until the soup has just heated through - don't boil as you will curdle the cream.
9. Divide soup between bowls and top with sage leaves.
10. Sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg and pepper. Bon appétit!

adapted from donna hay