Raeesah's Butternut Soup Recipe

My sister in law, Raeesah, is a whizz in the kitchen and I could definitely learn a thing or two from her. She passed on this deliciously creamy and wholesome butternut soup recipe to me and it was a winner from the word "chop"!

TIPS: 

• Save time in the kitchen (and your fingers) by purchasing diced butternut from the supermarket. It does work out marginally more expensive in comparison to buying a whole butternut but the time saved is actually invaluable. 
• Serve your soup with toppings like sunflower seeds (which pack an extra punch of Vitamin E and are a very good source of copper and Vitamin B), feta and a light dusting of chilli powder for a kick. 

Prep time: 15 minutes 

Cooking time: 40 minutes 

INGREDIENTS: Yields 4 - 5 bowls 

• A knob of butter 
• 1 large white onion 
• 1  small butternut chopped or 1 punnet of  chopped butternut 
• l litre (4 cups) Ina Paarman vegetable stock 
• 125 ml fresh cream (optional)

METHOD: 

• Melt the knob of butter in a heavy based pot over medium heat ensuring that the butter doesn't burn. 
• Add the chopped onion to the pot and let sweat until translucent in colour. 
• Throw in the butternut pieces and cover with 500 ml vegetable stock. I used Ina Paarman's Vegetable Stock in this recipe which is full of flavour and great quality too! 
• Simmer on medium heat until cooked through and the butternut is soft to the touch. This should take approximately 30 minutes. 
• Using a hand blender, puree the soup until it reaches a silky smooth texture. If you find the soup to be too thick, add water slowly to rectify.
• Add the fresh cream to the soup and bring to a simmer. 
• Adjust seasoning here by adding a crack of pepper or if you prefer, a tablespoon of sugar. 
• Serve soup in bowls and garnish with feta, sunflower seeds, chilli powder or a sprig of thyme. 

Let me know if you would try this recipe out or what you would add to make this comfort meal even more indulgent. Comment below and let's get chatting!

Love,
Yo Homi