In an effort to try and eat more healthily this year, I decided to make myself homemade butternut squash soup.

I mentioned to my mother in law early last year that I wanted to ‘try’ to like butternut squash. It was an effort on my part to eat more vegetables. This is going to sound bad, but I don’t really eat a lot of vegetables. Well, the thing is, I tend to like a lot of roots vegs, and my husband doesn’t. So we often have a tug of war over which vegetables to have.

As soon as I mentioned it to her I was going to make an effort to like butternut squash, my mother in law who has an allotment*, was going to grow some butternut squashes.

(*For the benefit of my US readers, an allotment is a rented community garden where you can grow foods and plants.)

Anyway, around Christmas time, she said they were ready, and with that, she presented us with some to take home.

We are winter grips, and it has turned chilly, not to mentioned it also the season for sniffles and coughs. I thought it would be a good idea to make my own homemade butternut squash soup. Warm comfort food to warm up the cockle.

This is such a simple, easy recipe to make that I thought I would show you how you can make your own homemade butternut squash soup.

To begin with, it might be a good idea to have a second person around to help you. I was on my own when I made this soup, but I wish I had Richard to help me – especially when it came to the cutting part.

This recipe is for two people, so please do adjust if you are doing for more people.

You will need:

• One blender
• One sharp knife
• 1 (or two) butternut squash
• 1 onion
• One garlic
• Vegetable stocks
• Double cream (if you are vegan you can have this with apples.)
• Oil
• Chilli powder (optional)
• Salt

I did try to do a step by step photo guide, but hands got sticky, and I didn’t want always to pick up the camera, so there isn’t photo evidence for everything, but I will try and talk you through it steps by steps.

First, you will need to cut the butternut squash. This is where you might need some help. I slice it at the top, then at the bottom. My plan was then to cut it straight down the middle, but it was quite tough to cut that way, so instead, I cut off slices. I feel I should warn you, I found this not the easiest thing to cut through, but it does not have to be perfect, we will be roasting the slices.

Once you got your cut butternut squash slices, put them on a roasting tin and cover the slices in oils, salt and if you wish, season it with chilli powder.

Then put the roasted tin in the oven for an hour. The setting does depend on your oven.

While the butternut squash is roasting in the oven, it might be a good idea to start chopping up the onions and garlic cloves. You will only need two garlic cloves.

Edit// It might be a good idea to perhaps fry the onions and garlic before going any further.

If the blender is on hand and is ready, you might as well put in your chopped onions and garlic in.

Wait for the hour to pass on the oven.

Once it has passed, get the roasted butternut squash out and let it cool down a little.

Then once it has cooled, get a spoon and start to scoop out the soft butternut squash texture. I found this really easy. Put the butternut squash straight into the blender.

Pour in the vegetable stock into the blender.

Then the cream needs to poured in.

Now blend everything all together until you get a thick creamy yellow soup.

You are ready to serve. However, it will be cold, so warm up in the microwave first.

Now you are ready to have homemade soup, feel free to serve this. However, you wish.

That is how you make homemade butternut squash soup — Bon appetite.

As I said before, a straightforward, easy recipe to make if you want warm comfort food. Let me know if you will you be making this for yourself.