NEVER ENOUGH GARLIC

There's nothing quite as comforting as a bowl of hot soup on a cold, rainy day. Or on those awful days when you've been struck down by a cold, your nose all stuffy, and your throat aching, soup is your best friend. It's warm and soft - like a blanket for your insides. Okay, maybe not exactly like a blanket, but don't pretend you don't know that feeling!

This vegan butternut squash soup is one of those wintery staples at our house. Is it cold? Butternut squash soup time. Sick? Butternut squash soup time. Having guests over and don't know what to make? Butternut squash soup time! Enough said. Top it with roasted butternut squash seeds and you'll have your new favourite soup!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 red onion
• 1 leek
• 8 cloves of garlic
• 1 can (400 ml/13.5 fl. oz) full-fat coconut milk
• 2 cans worth of water (we used the coconut milk can to measure this)
• 2 cubes of vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp. chia seeds
• 15 g nutritional yeast
• 2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. strong curry powder
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 0.5 tsp. salt (more if your vegetable stock cubes aren't salty on their own)
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 0.5 tsp. turmeric
• 1 fresh chilli (we used a habanero) (optional)
• Parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 200^oC (390°F).
2. Now, we need to get the butternut squash peeling and chopping out of the way. So using a sharp knife or peeler, remove the thick peel. Chop off the two ends, and cut the butternut squash in half.
3. Scrape out the guts and separate the seeds from the mush inside. Save both.
4. Chop the butternut squash into small cubes, and bake in the oven for approx. 30 minutes until the pieces caramelize. This gives the soup extra flavour and sweeteness. The pieces should be roasted with slightly blackened edges. 
5. Meanwhile, chop the onions and crush the garlic, and toss it all in a large pot with some olive oil. Stir fry on medium heat.
   
6. Chop the leek and the chilli, and add them to the pot.
7. Once the onions are golden brown, add the coconut milk.
8. Dissolve the vegetable stock in the water and add it to the pot. 
9. Add the butternut squash guts to pot as well. Save the seeds!
10. Throw in all the spices and the nutritional yeast, and bring it all to a boil. 
11. Add the baked butternut squash pieces to the boiling soup.
12. Using a hand blender, blend the soup until creamy and lump-free. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the soup thickens a bit and the butternut squash absorbs the flavour.
13. While the soup finishes up, toss the butternut squash seeds in some olive oil, salt and pepper in a small, oven-proof dish. Bake in the oven at 200^oC (390°F) for approx. 10 minutes until crispy. 
14. Serve the soup topped with crispy seeds and garnished with parsley.
15. Enjoy!