This is my favourite way to enjoy veggies like squashes and carrots. After long days staring at screens or driving round the city, I like my suppers to be three things – healthy, filling and beautiful. This soup checks all three boxes. It is after all, all vegetables; but far from being boring, it is packed with flavour and so satisfying that you can eat your fill without worrying. I like to serve this with simple roast chicken but you can just as easily choose any other meat or seafood you fancy. You can also enjoy it with these Paleo Flatbreads, toasted until crispy and perfect for dunking.
Ingredients
2 small butternut squashes, cubed
6 medium sized carrots, washed and cut
750ml chicken or vegetable stock
1 can coconut milk
1 red onion, halved
6 sprigs fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic, whole
2 tbsp salted butter (use olive or coconut oil if vegan)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lime or lemon
1 tsp Ras-el-hanout (or sub with smoked paprika)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method
-In a pot, heat the butter until gently bubbling and add the onion, garlic and half the fresh thyme. Let saute for about a minute.
-Add the butternut, ras-el-hanout, squash cubes and chunky carrot pieces. Stir well. (I don’t invest any time cutting things into small pieces for this recipe because it is all going into the blender later).
-Now pour on the chicken stock and turn the heat way down low. Cover the pot and leave to simmer until the squash and carrots are soft.
-Add the coconut milk to the pot and let it heat through. At this point, taste the soup liquid and adjust the seasoning if you need to (be cautious because the stock and butter already have salt and you don’t want to over do it).
-At this point, take the remaining thyme and pick the leaves of it. Add the leaves to the soup and throw the stalks away.
-Now transfer the soup, chunks and all to your blender and blend on high speed until smooth. You can also use a hand-held liquidizer if you have one.
-Serve straight away with a wedge of lime and enjoy. Serves 2.
