This is definitely a winter warmer favourite of mine. Really easy to make and so full of flavour. I use parmesan in this recipe, it makes all the difference in terms of seasoning. I add a pot of plain yoghurt or you could use soft cheese or creme fraiche; this adds a bit of acidity to a really rich soup. 

Portion sizes below can easily be halved if your butternut squash is smaller than the really big one that I used for this recipe.

Serves 4 – 6 (depending on whether serving as a starter or a main course)

Ingredients:

• 1 large butternut squash
• A small onion, chopped
• A clove of garlic, crushed
• 700 – 800ml of chicken and/or vegetable stock
• 2 – 3 dried or fresh sage leaves crushed or finely chopped
• 1 small pot of plain yoghurt
• 4 level tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
• About a teaspoon or two of olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil to serve

Method:

1. Using a very sharp knife, peel the squash, removing the pips with a spoon and chop into chunks
2. Sauté the chopped onion and crushed garlic in the olive oil until translucent
3. Add the butternut squash and sage leaves and cover with just enough stock to almost cover the top, you can always add more liquid later on so be careful here
4. Bring to the boil, then summer gently for about 20 minutes until soft
5. Turn off the heat then add the pot of yoghurt and the parmesan  and blend until smooth, season to taste with salt and pepper
6. Swirl some olive oil on your bowl of soup, enjoy on it’s own or with some crusty bread.