Making healthy, tasty food doesn’t have to take a long time or be complicated. In this simple seasonal recipe the veggies are roasted for 30 minutes, without oil, and then blended. What could be easier?!
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 2 large or 4 small portions
Ingredients:
1kg squash, either butternut or turban
1 onion, 150g
4 garlic cloves, 20g
50g sunflower seeds
The leaves from a large stalk of rosemary
1x400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 litre of water
1T stock powder or stock cube
1T red miso paste, you can also use white or brown miso paste
1t pink or black peppercorns
Vegan cream or yoghurt to serve
Equipment:
Baking tray
Small frying pan
Large saucepan
Hand blender
Pestle and mortar
Method:
Heat your oven to 200c/390f/GM6.
Cut the squash in half, lengthwise, then into slices, roughly 4cm wide. Cut the onion in half lengthwise, do not remove the out skin. Place the squash and onion on the baking tray, cut side down. Add the garlic cloves, with their skin still on, to the pan.
Roast the veggies in the oven for around 30 minutes until the squash is cooked through. The garlic will need to be removed from the oven after 5-15 minutes, once it is cooked. The time will depend on the size of the garlic, the smaller the garlic, the less time it needs to cook.
Whilst the veggies are cooking toast the seeds. Put them into a small dry frying pan on a medium heat. Cook for around 10 minutes until they are browned and you can smell their aroma.
Remove the squash seeds and skin. Place the flesh in the saucepan with the garlic cloves and onions, removed from their skins. Add the rosemary, chickpeas and water.
Blend, with a hand blender, until very smooth. Add the stock powder and miso paste. Blend once again. Put the pan on a medium heat to warm through. Do not allow it to boil.
Crush the peppercorns in the pestle and mortar. Serve the soup topped with cream, seeds and freshly ground pepper.
Click here for more info from The Vegan Chef School
