SWEET POTATO & BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH LEMON & GARLIC TOAST

Sweet potato & butternut squash soup with lemon & garlic toast image

Roast your vegetables in honey before blitzing into this velvety smooth, spiced soup - served with garlicky, zesty ciabatta slices for dipping

Provided by James Martin

Categories Dinner, Lunch, Soup, Starter, Supper

Time 1h30m

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

500g sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and diced
1 tbsp clear honey
1 tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle
2 onions, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1l vegetable or chicken stock
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp grated nutmeg
100ml double cream
1 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
100g butter, at room temperature
zest 1 lemon
2 tbsp snipped chives
1 tbsp chopped thyme
2 ciabatta loaves, cut into slices

Steps:

Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Put the sweet potato and butternut squash on a baking tray and add the honey and a drizzle of olive oil. Roast for 40-45 mins until soft and starting to caramelise at the edges, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, fry the onions in 1 tbsp olive oil until soft, then add the garlic, chicken stock, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to the boil, and simmer for 5 mins.
Remove the sweet potatoes and butternut squash from the oven and add to the pan with the stock. Blend everything until smooth using a stick blender. Stir in most of the cream and bring back to a gentle simmer, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
To make the lemon & garlic toasts, gently warm the olive oil and garlic in a pan over a low heat for a few mins; the garlic should be softened but not browned. Remove from the heat and mix in the butter and lemon zest until smooth. Leave to cool, then stir in the chives and thyme.
Toast the ciabatta slices, and top each with a spoonful of garlic butter. Serve with the soup, drizzled with the remaining cream, and some black pepper.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 435 calories, Fat 19 grams fat, SaturatedFat 9 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 51 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 16 grams sugar, Fiber 7 grams fiber, Protein 11 grams protein, Sodium 1.2 milligram of sodium