* Butternut Squash and Tomato Soup

This soup was absolutely scrumptious, and so easy to make that I almost feel guilty for calling it a recipe. But it has a list of ingredients and some instructions, so a recipe is what it is.

I'm a huge fan of soup - obviously - but not a huge fan of smooth or pureed soups. Hubby is, however. So this one was for him - at least - that's what I told him. But I tell him a lot of crap that isn't true, so lets not pick on this one thing...

I tell him the standard "No, this isn't new - it's been in the back of the wardrobe for AGES" and "I got this for half price, honest". I also say things like "Look what mum bought me", "No, I didn't go out for lunch today", "I've been REALLY busy ALL day", "I've only had one glass of wine, dahlink *hic* ", and my all time favourite "No, it's NOT a risotto, it's a rice casserole."

Apparently, he knows when I'm lying because I open my mouth. He knows full well when I'm telling him pork pies, he just decides to play along. His favourite quote...

Happy Wife. Happy Life.

Works for me :)

NOTE: You'll probably notice - if you're a frequent visitor - that some of my recipes are starting to appear without the usual *tute style* photographs within them. This is because there are times when they are either a tad pointless, or because I just wanted to enjoy cooking something without arsing about every couple of minutes.

If you have an opinion on this... you want them all the time, don't want them at all... or couldn't give a flying fig... please feel free to comment and let me know :) 

I promise to be nice.

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Serves 2

Prep time - 5 minutes
Cooking time - 25 minutes

You will need
A small saucepan
A stick blender or food processor

Ingredients
14oz/400g Tinned Chopped Tomatoes
1 small Butternut Squash - peeled, deseeded and diced
7 fl oz/200ml Vegetable Stock
splash of Worcestershire Sauce
2 tbsp Mascarpone (optional)
1 tbsp Pumpkin Seeds (optional)

Method

Place the tomatoes, squash, stock and Worcester sauce in the pan, bring to a gentle simmer and pop the lid on. Allow to simmer for 15 - 20 minutes or until the squash is soft.

If using a stick blender you can puree the soup immediately, just be careful not to splash yourself. If using a food processor, allow to cool slightly before pouring into the jug and blending. You won't need to do this in batches unless you've doubled the recipe.

Return to the pan and reheat. Stir in the mascarpone and serve scattered with pumpkin seeds and with a hearty chunk of home made bread. Cheese and Mustard Scones go equally well with this.

EAT

0 propoints per serving without Mascarpone, 2 propoints with.