A warming and cheery roasted butternut squash and tomato soup with a hint of immune-boosting garlic, ginger and turmeric. Top a bowl of this with some crunchy, tangy parmesan toasts and you'll have the perfect early-spring comfort food!
Brush a baking sheet with oil, then place the squash cut-side down on the sheet. Place a clove of garlic under the hollow of each half. Roast for 45 minutes or until the squash is tender. Then leave it to cool for a short while before scooping out the flesh and putting it to one side along with the roasted garlic.
Heat a good drizzle of oil in a large skillet/saucepan or heavy-based pot and fry the chopped onion for a few minutes until it softens. Then add the ginger, turmeric and salt and stir for about a minute longer.
Add the squash, garlic, tomatoes and stock/broth to the pan and stir together. Bring to the boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes.
Blend the soup in batches. Then, put back in the pan with a little more water if you like to thin the soup out slightly (I added about another 1½ cups as I remember, but it's up to you). Reheat the soup a little on a low heat. Add black pepper and a little more salt if you like to taste.
Meanwhile, prepare your parmesan toasts, if making. Top small pieces of sliced crusty bread with the grated parmesan and grill/broil until bubbling and browned! Serve the soup with the toasts and chopped parsley on top (if you like).
Notes
Very barely adapted from a recipe by Sara Dickerman featured in Bon appetit magazine.