Autumn soup

The colours of an Autumnal woodland. Credit: Me! 

I just love autumn. I love the  colours, the change in temperature and the return of comfort food. I love the rain as well as the autumn sun which sits lower and casts a different light to the summer.

Autumn food takes on the same colours for me. The food I choose is orange or red... It makes me feel warm on the inside at least!

A quick autumn soup today, similar to the one I took to Suffolk.

Autumn soup

1 tbsp olive oil
2 small onions, diced
1 red onion, diced
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 sweet potatoes,  peeled and diced
1 small white potato, peeled and diced
Half a squash with seeds removed, diced
1 pint good quality stock of choice (chicken or vegetable)
Salt and pepper
2 whole red chillies, piereced
Dried chilli flakes (optional)

Heat the oil in a large pan before adding the onions. Stir for a few moments, then cover and allow to sweat for 5 mins.

Add the carrots and cook for a further 2 mins.

Add the sweet potato and potato.

Finally, add the squash. I found it easier (given that I was left with the seeded part of the squash this time) to chop around the seeds until I had most of the flesh off. It meant I didn't have the messy job of scrapping out the seeds! 

Once this is all in the pot, give the vegetables a really good stir before adding enough stock to cover them. I used chicken stock this time, but have used vegetable before and it's just as good! A pint just covered. Top up with boiling water if needed. Add your seasoning and the two whole chillies.

Allow the soup to cook for 15-20 mins, or until the squash is soft when pierced with a knife.

Blitz the soup by hand, or in a blender (remembering to cool first to avoid any accidents!). 

Serve with crusty bread and provide your guests with a sprinkle of dried chilli flakes, if they want to spice it up!

Thank goodness for autumn! I absolutely love soup for lunch 😋

Hope you do too! Let me know what you think.

See you next time

Deb x