This year in the garden we planted courgette and a yellow squash which we’ve never had before and to be honest I didn’t quite know what to do with it until I made this soup. If you’re South African, it’s similar to a gem squash inside but about 3 times the size with a much softer skin. It has a very sweet and delicate taste. I could have also roasted it, removed the seeds and then scooped out the flesh and just served with salt, pepper and a huge helping of butter… hmmmmm…

Ingredients:

• 1.5kg mixed squash (I used a marrow, 2 yellow squash and some butternut squash)
• 1 brown onion, sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 500ml of stock (chicken or veg)
• 100g Philadelphia cheese
• 60g grated Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil to fry the onion and garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C
2. Slice the squash that you’re using into halves lengthways and season with salt and pepper
3. Pop in the oven for at least 45 mins, perhaps slightly longer for larger squashes (poke them after 45 to see if soft)
4. While the squash is cooking, chop and fry the onion and garlic gently in a pot
5. Once the squash is out of the oven, allow it to cool enough to handle
6. Scoop out the flesh and discard the seeds if they are too hard
7. Add to the pot, then add the stock and let it come to the boil
8. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes
9. Blend until smooth
10. Add the parmesan and Philadelphia cheese and blend again to ensure the soup is really smooth
11. Add salt and pepper to taste
12. Serve with some bread or my crusty croutons.