Serve This Spicy Butternut Squash Soup In A Shot Glass For The Perfect BBQ Canape

Ingredients

1 butternut squash, about 1.5kg
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tbsp olive oil
50g butter
2 onions, diced
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 tsp curry power
1 tsp Thai curry paste (optional)
1.5 litres vegetable stock
100ml cream
for the spice mix
½ tsp whole cumin seeds
½ tsp whole coriander seeds
½ tsp black peppercorns
150g butter
1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp white mustard seeds

This is a lovely recipe for all sorts of occasions – particularly in the last remaining dreary days before we hit an unbroken run of sunshine for the summer! You can serve it in shot glasses as a canapé, which would add a nice touch of class to any BBQ party.

Prep: 20 minutes :: Cook: 20 minutes :: Serves: 6-8

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200° fan/220°C/gas mark 7, then cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise.Scoop out the seeds and membrane and transfer to a roasting dish. Drizzle with olive oil and roast with the garlic in the oven for 15 minutes, before removing it to cool. Once that's done, scoop out the now-soft flesh and set aside with the roasted garlic cloves.

Step 2

Add the butter to a heavy-bottomed pan over a medium heat. Once the butter has melted add the onion. Sauté for 3–5 minutes or until the onions are translucent and cooked through but not brown, and then add in the roasted garlic and butternut squash.

Step 3

Season well with salt and pepper. Cover and sweat for about five minutes. At this stage you can add the curry powder and curry paste, if you'd like your soup to have a bit more kick.In the meantime, heat the stock in another large saucepan. When it starts to simmer, add the roasted, spiced vegetable mix and, using a hand blender, blend to a smooth soup. Pour in the cream to give it a silky finish.

Step 4

To prepare the spices, dry fry the cumin, coriander and peppercorns in a small pan until they release their aroma. Then transfer to a pestle and mortar and grind roughly. Place the butter and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan over a medium heat and when the butter begins to foam, add the mustard seeds. When they start popping, add the ground spices and mix well to combine. Remove from the heat and discard the cinnamon stick.

Step 5

Serve the soup in warmed bowls (or shot glasses) and drizzle the buttery spice mixture over the top. Have an extra drizzle of cream if you like... yeah, you know you want to.

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