Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

Making soup from your own stock is a simple pleasure. Stock is so easy to make, but in the busyness of normal life I never seem to find enough time to make and then use the stock from the Sunday roast’s carcass. I have been known to make it and forget about it for a couple of days, inevitably having to pour it down the drain. The concoction that once pleasantly perfumed the house now fumigating the kitchen with its rotten odour.

Lockdown obviously has allowed for more time to make and use. This is a very straightforward recipe for butternut squash and sweet potato soup and great for using up a glut of veg.

For the stock: in a large saucepan added the chicken carcass. I quartered an onion and chopped a couple of celery sticks and a carrot. Added a handful of peppercorns and a couple of bay leaves. Also put some wilting flat leaf parsley in which a bit later on (not pictured). Cover with water, bring to the boil and then leave to simmer for roughly three hours.

For the soup: I started preparing the veg once the stock had been simmering for about two and a half hours. I used three sweet potatoes, three carrots and a butternut squash. Chop all the veg and coat in olive oil and crushed garlic. Roast in the oven at 180 degrees until all the veg is soft. I did in two trays. Meanwhile, add a finely chopped onion and leek to a heavy bottomed pan and sweat until soft. For a bit of heat I threw in a red chilli too. After about 45 mins the veg in the oven will be ready. Add the roasted veg to the leek and onion and give the pot a good stir. Now the stock will be ready to use. Add about four ladles of stock to the pot, the liquid will make the veggies easier to blend. To blend into a smooth soup, use either a handheld blender or a food processor. Whiz it all up, adding more stock depending how thick you would like your soup. This should make enough for about eight portions. I had a couple of empty containers from shop bought soup so I froze four portions and put the rest in a tupperware in the fridge.