Squash and apple soup with cheddar croutons
Serves 6
Hands-on time 25 min, oven time 50 min
Nothing beats a bowl of soup on a cold autumn day, this recipe pairs squash and apple with mature cheddar for a flavour packed meal.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium squash
- Olive oil
- 2 onions
- 3 apples
- 1½ tbsp grated horseradish (from a jar)
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- 200g good quality bread
- 100g mature cheddar
- Fresh thyme sprigs
METHOD
- Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Roughly chop and deseed the squash, toss with a glug of olive oil, season and spread over a large baking tray. Roast for 10 minutes.
- Cut the onions and apples into wedges, then add to the tray. Roast for 40 minutes, tossing occasionally, then put everything in a large saucepan. Add the horseradish and vegetable stock, then season very well. Bring to a simmer, then blend until smooth. Keep warm.
- Tear the bread into small chunks, toss with a glug of olive oil, then spread over the prepared baking sheet. Grate over the cheddar, filling the gaps between the bread with cheese. Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden and crisp.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, then lay the cheesy croutons on top and scatter with fresh thyme sprigs.
Mushroom Ragu with Parsnip & Carrot Mash
Serves 2
Hands on time 10 min, cooking time 40 min
All the lovely earthy flavours of mushrooms, in a rich and smoky sauce. Spoon it over the vibrant, healthy parsnip and carrot mash for the perfect dish to make your belly happy.
INGREDIENTS
For the Ragu:
- olive oil
- 1 onion, roughly sliced
- 1 celery stick, finely sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 tbsp red pesto
- 250ml veg stock
- 400g mushrooms, chopped
- 100ml red wine
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp tamari or soy sauce
- fresh thyme leaves plus extra for topping - add to your taste
- sea salt & black pepper
For the mash:
- 400g parsnips peeled & cut into cubes
- 200g carrots - peeled & cut into cubes
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
METHOD
- Add the onion, celery and 2 tbsp of olive oil to a large pan on a medium heat and fry for 8-10 minutes until very soft.
- Add the garlic, paprika and oregano and stir to combine, then add the tomato purée, pesto and veg stock and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and red wine, stir to combine and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the balsamic vinegar, tamari and fresh thyme leaves (to your taste) and season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, to make the mash, boil the parsnips and carrot in a saucepan of boiling water for approx. 12-15 minutes or until tender.
- Drain the parsnips and carrots and transfer to a food processor along with the nutritional yeast and 2-3 tbsp of olive oil. Blitz until smooth and creamy, adding a little water if needed for a looser texture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve the mushroom ragù on a bed of creamy mash with some extra thyme leaves to garnish.