Name: Butternut squash and sweet potato soup
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 500g sweet potatoes peeled and diced; 1 butternut squash peeled, deseeded and diced; 1 tbsp clear honey; 1 tbsp olive oil plus a drizzle; 2 onions roughly chopped; 3 garlic cloves crushed; 1l vegetable or chicken stock; 1 tsp cinnamon; 1 tsp grated nutmeg; 100ml double cream; 1 tbsp olive oil; 3 garlic cloves crushed; 100g butter at room temperature; zest 1 lemon; 2 tbsp snipped chives; 1 tbsp chopped thyme; 2 ciabatta loaves, cut into slices

A bowl of sweet potato & butternut squash soup with creme fraiche swirl

For the soup

500g sweet potatoes
peeled and diced
1 butternut squash
peeled, deseeded and diced
1 tbsp clear honey
1 tbsp olive oil
plus a drizzle
2 onions
roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves
crushed
1l vegetable or chicken stock
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp grated nutmeg
100ml double cream

For the toast

1 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves
crushed
100g butter
at room temperature
zest 1 lemon
2 tbsp snipped chives
1 tbsp chopped thyme
2 ciabatta
loaves, cut into slices

Method

step 1
Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Put the sweet potato and butternut squash on a baking tray and add the honey and a drizzle of olive oil. Roast for 40-45 mins until soft and starting to caramelise at the edges, stirring occasionally.
step 2
Meanwhile, fry the onions in 1 tbsp olive oil until soft, then add the garlic, chicken stock, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to the boil, and simmer for 5 mins.
step 3
Remove the sweet potatoes and butternut squash from the oven and add to the pan with the stock. Blend everything until smooth using a stick blender. Stir in most of the cream and bring back to a gentle simmer, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
step 4
To make the lemon & garlic toasts, gently warm the olive oil and garlic in a pan over a low heat for a few mins; the garlic should be softened but not browned. Remove from the heat and mix in the butter and lemon zest until smooth. Leave to cool, then stir in the chives and thyme.
step 5
Toast the ciabatta slices, and top each with a spoonful of garlic butter. Serve with the soup, drizzled with the remaining cream, and some black pepper.