WHITE BEAN AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Ingredients
For the soup:
2 400g tins white beans rinsed
1 tablespoon finely chopped sage
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 kg (2lb) butternut squash, seeded each half cut into wedges
4 tablespoons good olive oil
2 onions finely diced
2 carrots, peeled and cut into ½" dice
2 sticks celery, cut into ½" dice
1.5 litres/ 3 pints vegetable stock

For the Parsley Puree:
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon maldon sea salt
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
4 tablespoons good olive oil
4 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
lemon juice to taste

Our recipe this week is courtesy of Antony Worrell Thompson, try it out with some of his Rock Salt Ciabatta Croutons for a warm, filling, lunchtime snack!

Method
Place your squash in a roasting tray and roast in the oven preheated to 180°C, 350°F, Gas Mark 4 oven with 1 tablespoon olive oil for about 45 minutes or until the squash has softened and caramelised. Remove the flesh from the skin.

At the same time, heat the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the onions, carrots, celery, 6 cloves garlic and sage and cook over a medium heat until the onions are soft but not brown. Add the stock and bring to the boil, simmer for 20 minutes. Add the roasted squash and half the beans and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Place the soup in a liquidizer and blend until smooth. Return to the saucepan, add the remaining beans, stir to combine. Season to taste.

For the parsley puree, add the garlic with the sea salt to a blender with the parsley and blend until smooth, then add the olive oil, the Parmesan and the remaining parsley. Add lemon juice to taste.

Serve a teaspoonful of parsley puree in each bowl of the hot soup.

Preparation & cooking: Overnight and 1½ hours
Made in advance: Up to 24 hours
Freezing: Yes
Serves: 4-6