Delicious Butternut soup with a dash of heat

Soup can be the perfect meal. Some people may think that soup is boring and that it takes ages to prepare for something that isn't very filling but this recipe is quick, simple and hearty.  Anything can be added to a basic butternut soup recipe. Add a protein to make your soup more filling and any spices or extra ingredients you enjoy. Here I added a variety or spices and bacon and Chorizo (a spicy Spanish sausage) to make it more of a main meal. I also used yoghurt instead of cream as a fat free option. Play around with flavour combinations until you find the perfect one.

Serve your soup with a fresh loaf of your favouite bread.  

Spicy Butternut soup with Chorizo

Ingredients: (serves 2 to 3)

• 1 medium onion (I used spring onions)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 50g butter
• 900g pumpkin or butternut
• 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried red chilly
• 1 litre of chicken stock
• 8 rashes of smoked bacon
• 100ml yoghurt or cream
• chorizo and crutons to serve



Ingredients

 Method:

1. Peel and roughly chop the onion and the garlic.
2. Melt the butter in a large, heavy based saucepan and cook the onion and garlic until soft and translucent.
3. Roughly chop the pumpkin into cubes and add to the onion.
4. Cook until the pumpkin is golden brown on the edges.
5. Toast the coriander, chilly and the cumin in a small pan over a low heat for about 2 minutes, until they tart to smell warm and nutty.
6. Grind the roasted spices with a pestle and mortar.
7. Add the spices to the onion and pumpkin.
8. Cook for a minute or so, then add the stock.
9. Leave to simmer for 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender
10. Fry the bacon and sliced chorizo in the pan in which you toasted the spices it should be crisp then cut it up into small pieces.
11. Whizz up he soup with blender or food processor until smooth.
12. Pour in the yoghurt or cream and taste for seasoning adding salt and pepper to taste.
13. Serve piping hot with the bacon and chorizo bits on top with some crutons



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