North African Spiced Squash Soup

This 'any squash' soup recipe is an idea to play with and make your own.

For those tricky occasions when the family come to call.. And at this time of year, the chances are there'll be bearing some kind of peculiar-shaped squash or gourd from a Farmers Market...

Make a batch, freeze whatever you have left over in saved plastic takeaway tubs and you'll never be more than 10 minutes away from something really delicious and satisfying to eat.

         Ingredients & Method

• Peel and cut into chunks any Winter Squash (Butternut, Acorn, etc.)
  
• Put in a roasting tray with a good slug of Olive Oil and Warm Spices - Paprika (sweet and smoked) Cumin, Coriander (whole seed and ground) Cayennne or other chilli flakes, a touch of Allspice or Cinnamon if you like; whatever smells right.
  
• Roast in a 180 C oven for anywhere between 25-50 mins, depending on the density and size of the chunks.
  
• About 10 mins before you think its nice and soft, add a teaspoon or two of Harissa Paste to the tray and pop back in the oven. 
  
• When done, remove the cooked squash to a large saucepan and add stock (chicken or vegetable) to the roasting tin with another teaspoon or two of harissa and 'mop up' all the nice caramelised flavour from the tin.
  
• Add the stock, in stages, into the saucepan with the squash whilst using a stick blender, blitzing and tasting, until desired consistency is achieved.
  
• As a finishing touch, add a little coconut, to taste. Keep a block of Coconut Cream in the fridge and grate it in - you can use it wherever you would coconut milk, it keeps for ages and it saves opening a tin!  Sweet!
  
• Garnish with fresh Coriander Leaf. Yum!

................................ Make a meal out of it ...............................

1. By adding a Poached Egg - surprisingly good! Just sit atop the soup before serving..

2. By adding Chorizo; sliced or crumbled and quickly fried. Use the red paprika oil left in the pan to 'drizzle dress' the soup. Souper! 

Perfect for when a family of Gourds turn up....

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