Curried Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

During this cold snowy weather the perfect lunch to have is a hot steaming bowl of soup. I've always got a butternut squash kicking around which is great for making home-made soup as it's so tasty, filling and my kids love it.

Butternut squashes are not the easiest of things to peel unless you have a really good peeler, or you're prepared to lose a large chunk of the flesh by slicing the skin off with a knife. If you're making soup though you don't need to peel it as the skin is easier to remove once it has been roasted, and if you're like me and don't like waste then you can use the skin in the soup too. The apple in this soup adds a sweetness to it and, because it doesn't contain any oil or cream, it's naturally low in fat too.

Curried Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

1 Large Butternut Squash
1 onion
2 Eating Apples
500ml water or stock
1 tbsp Curry powder (or to taste)

• Cut the butternut squash into 4 pieces & remove the seeds (don't throw them away as they can be toasted) & the stalk
• Peel & roughly chop the onion
• Core & chop the apple
• Place the onion, squash & apple into an ovenproof dish or pan with a lid (or cover with foil)
• Roast in a 200 C oven for 50-60 minutes until the flesh is soft
• Add the curry powder & stock & bring to the boil on the hob (you may need to transfer to a saucepan if your pan can't be used on the stove top)
• Using a stick blender blend until smooth, adding more water if needed
• Add salt & pepper to taste