Roasted Butternut Squash Soup With Chestnuts

A beautifully simple recipe with minimum preparation, perfect for those long cold winter nights.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 medium onion, finally chopped
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and finally chopped
• 1 medium about 2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil (for roasting the squash)
• 5-6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tsp. coriander
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup sliced chestnuts, lightly toasted
• fresh thyme to garnish
• fresh chives, chopped, to garnish (optional)

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 425F.

2) On a baking sheet, layer the squash and sprinkle the olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss it with hands to disperse and coat evenly.

3) Roast for about 20 minutes, tossing after 10 minutes or so, so that they bake even.

4) Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the onion, carrot and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the roasted squash (save some for serving, about 1 cup), chicken stock, paprika, turmeric and coriander. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer gently for about 15 minutes until all the vegetables are soft.

5) Pour the soup into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Return the soup to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Reheat gently.

6) Ladle the soup into the warm bowls. Scoop few tablespoons of saved roasted squash, and sprinkle with chestnuts. Speckle the soup very lightly with a pinch of paprika. Garnish each serving with fresh thyme and chives and serve hot.

*Recipe thanks to My Gourmet Connection.