Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Ginger

Ingredients

• Vegetables for roasting

  800 g butternut squash

  raw edible weight after peeling and removing seeds; 2 cm cubes

• 250 g carrots

  raw trimmed weight; 1 cm thick half-moons

• 20 g olive oil

  for the roasting tray; all oil and juices retained

• 2 g fine table salt

  for roasting

• Soup base and finish

  10 g olive oil

  for the saucepan

• 150 g yellow onion

  peeled and finely chopped

• 12 g garlic

  peeled and finely chopped

• 15 g fresh ginger

  peeled and finely grated

• 900 g water

  900 ml; no stock or extra liquid in the formula

• 2 g fine table salt

  for the soup base

• 1 g black pepper

  freshly ground

• 20 g roasted unsalted pumpkin seed kernels

  shelled pepitas, ready to eat; 5 g per portion

Directions

1. Roast the squash and carrots

   Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) conventional, or 400°F (200°C) fan. Toss all 800 g squash cubes and 250 g carrot pieces with 20 g olive oil and 2 g salt on a large rimmed tray. Spread in one layer with room between the pieces; use two trays if needed. Roast for about 30–35 minutes, turning once, until the squash and carrots are tender and their edges are golden. Keep all tray oil and juices for the soup.

2. Soften the onion and warm the ginger

   During the last 10 minutes of roasting, heat the remaining 10 g olive oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Add 150 g chopped onion and cook for about 6–8 minutes, stirring, until softened without burning. Lower the heat, add 12 g garlic and 15 g grated ginger and stir for 1 minute, just until fragrant. Keep the heat low if the roasted vegetables are not ready yet.

3. Simmer until every piece is soft

   Add all roasted squash and carrots to the saucepan, scraping in all oil and juices from the tray. Add 900 g water, the remaining 2 g salt and 1 g black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until even the thickest carrot pieces squash easily under a spoon. There should be enough liquid to surround the vegetables without making the soup thin.

4. Blend smooth and finish with pumpkin seeds

   Take the saucepan off the heat and let vigorous bubbling stop. Use an immersion blender approved for hot liquids, following its instructions. Keep the blade head fully submerged and blend carefully until smooth, without lifting a running blender out of the soup. Do not use a sealed personal blender for hot soup. Return the saucepan to low heat and warm gently, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Divide all soup evenly between four bowls, then sprinkle each with 5 g roasted unsalted pumpkin seed kernels. No cream, additional oil or extra salt is included.