Spiced Squash and Bourbon Soup

It is March and we are on the cusp of spring, but ironically the weather outside is still grey and wet. Bring some sunshine in your kitchen with this colourful and nutritious squash soup. The flavours are enhanced by the addition of powerful spices whilst bourbon gives it a surprising twist.

Serves: 6

Prepare: 10 minutes

Cook: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1kg peeled and deseeded onion or butternut squash flesh, cut into chunks (prepared weight)
• 2 ½ tbsp olive oil
• 75g butter
• 2 sticks celery, diced
• 2 leeks trimmed, washed and roughly chopped
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground cayenne, plus a tiny bit for serving
• approx. 1.2 litres vegetable stock (you may need a little bit more)
• 6 tbsp bourbon
• double cream for drizzling (or you can use dollops of crème fraiche if you prefer something tangy to go with the sweetness of the squash)

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Put the squash flesh in a roasting tin. Toss it in the oil and season. Place the tin in the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the flesh is completely tender and golden.

2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy, wide bottomed saucepan and add the celery and leeks. Season and sauté over a gentle heat for 3-4 minutes until softening, then add the ginger and cayenne. Add a couple of tablespoons of water, cover with a lid, turn the heat down to really low and sweat the vegetables for about 20 minutes. They should be soft and floppy. Add the squash. Pour in the stock, season and bring to the boil. Simmer until tender, then allow the soup to cool.

3. Purée in a blender, in batches if necessary, until smooth. Add more stock if you prefer a thinner soup. Heat the soup and check the seasoning again - it might need adjusting.

4. Put a tablespoon (or more or less, depending on how you want it) of bourbon into each bowl and top up with the soup. Drizzle on some cream and add a tiny sprinkle of ground cayenne. Serve with toasted bread.

Tip: You can just sauté the squash in butter or oil for this recipe, but taking time to roast it makes the flesh taste sweeter and more intense.