Squash and Carrot Soup

As the evenings draw in, it's time to appreciate November's bounty. Root crop are the hero of the moment, their sweet, nutty flavours bringing comfort and nourishment to colder evenings. Butternut squash is the crowd-pleasure of the family with its dense, sweet and easy to cook flesh. Paired with carrots and aromatic sage leaves it's the essential autumn soup - tasteful, colourful and easy to make.

Serves: 6

Prepare: 15 minutes

Cook: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 kg butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped
• 500g carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 litre fresh vegetable stock
• 10-12 sage leaves
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 30g unsalted butter

1. Put 15g butter and 1 tbsp oil in a large heavy-based pan or casserole dish set over a low heat. Add the onions, garlic and a pinch of salt; sauté gently for 10 minutes until the onions are translucent, stirring frequently to make sure they don't catch.

2. Add the squash, carrots, stock and 200ml water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the squash is completely soft. Remove the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Blend until completely smooth; season.

3. While the soup is cooling, put the remaining 15g butter and 1 tbsp oil in a pan over a medium heat. When hot, fry the sage leaves for 1-2 minutes, until golden and crispy. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the chilli flakes, crispy sage leaves and a drizzle of the sage-infused butter and oil. Serve immediately.