Mary Berry’s butternut squash soup recipe that ‘fills kitchen with delicious aroma’

The best autumn dishes are the cosiest and butternut squash soup is one that’s hard to beat.

It’s the first weekend of October and it couldn’t be a more perfect time to whip up a batch.

Creamy and velvety, it doesn’t take many ingredients to make something this good yet wholesome.

‘s version is straightforward and saves you from peeling the squash, the most finicky part of any butternut squash .

Familiar faces form the base – onion, celery and carrots – and there’s a good chance you’ll already have them on hand.

Marry them with the roast squash, some seasonings, stock, and voila! Pair it with thick slices of bread and butter for dipping and you have a perfect autumnal meal.

The description from the cooking legend’s website reads: “Unlike pumpkin, butternut squash are available all year. Shaped like a large peanut, they have a sweet orange flesh. Roasting them first in the oven means that you don’t have to tackle removing the tough skin, and it fills the kitchen with a delicious aroma!

Mary Berry’s butternut squash soup

Serves six

Ingredients

• Three small butternut squash, about 1.6kg (3 ½ lb) total weight
• About two tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 25g (1oz) butter
• One large onion, roughly chopped
• Two large carrots, roughly chopped
• Two large sticks celery, sliced
• 2.5cm (1 inch) root ginger, grated
• 1.1-1.3 litres (2-2 ¼ pints) vegetable or chicken stock
• Sprig of fresh rosemary or one teaspoon dried rosemary

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F /Gas 6.
2. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthways, scoop out the seeds with a metal spoon and discard.
3. Arrange the squash halves cut side up in a roasting tin just big enough to hold the squash in a single layer and drizzle over the olive oil. Season each squash half with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg. Pour 150ml (1/4 pint) water around the squash.
4. Cook in the preheated oven for about 1 ¼ hours, basting occasionally, until the squash are very tender. Allow to cool.
5. Melt the butter in a large pan and add the onion, carrot, celery and grated ginger.
6. Cook for 5-10 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the stock, rosemary and seasoning, bring to the boil then partially cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
7. When cool enough to handle scoop the flesh from the squash and add to the pan.
8. Blend the vegetables in a liquidiser or food processor until smooth. (If you use a food processor, it is easier to process the vegetables with a little of the liquid, adding the remaining liquid to the processed vegetables to make the soup).
9. Taste for seasoning and serve hot with crusty bread.

To prepare ahead: Allow to cool, transfer to a suitable container, cover and keep in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat thoroughly to serve.

To freeze: Cool the soup at the end of stage three. Pack and freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature for eight hours or overnight in the fridge.