Butternut Squash Soup

Last week I ordered a butternut squash on my online shopping and this 1.7kg behmouth turned up!  I had planned having it roasted with chicken but it was so big I decided to turn it into a soup for lunch. It is an excellent source of vitamin A and C and good source of vitamin E. Surprisingly enough it is also a source of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids (not as much as fish or flaxseed but if you are not taking a supplement every little helps)

1. Turn on oven. Mine is a fan one and appears to have nuclear tendencies but 170 would probably be good.
2. Cut squash in half lengthways.
3. Mix 2 tablespooons of olive oil or coconut oil with 1 teaspoon of garlic (I am very lazy and use jar garlic, if you are not then I would crush about 2 cloves)
4. Baste the tops of the squash with the oil
5. Add a sprig of rosemary and sprinkle paprika all over



6. Bake for about 45 minutes  or until a knife goes in easily, again oven dependent.
7. Boil a pint of chicken stock, if you have home made it will taste better (after having a roast just boil the carcass with some water for a couple of hours, strain and then freeze)
8. Remove the rosemary (I find it too overpowering)



9. Scrap all the squash into the boiling chicken stock and simmer for about 20minutes.



10. Use a handblender to blend the ingredients of the saucepan and there you go gorgeous butternut squash soup with a little bit of a kick from the paprika.

P.S I love coconut so if you want add roughly 50g coconut cream to the pint of chicken stock. Also test whilst the soup is cooking and add more paprika/chill if you want a real kick.