This superb soup has a fantastic taste, enhanced by adding the rind from the cheese as it cooks, to extract every bit of flavour. You’ll need roughly 500g butternut squash when peeled and deseeded. If you have any leftover, simply roast to serve as a vegetable with another meal.
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 150g Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, with rind
- 25g butter 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped into chunks
- 900ml hot vegetable stock
- 150ml milk
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4-6 slices French bread
- chopped fresh parsley or thyme, to garnish
Method
- Reserve the rind from the Parmigiano-Reggiano and cut into chunks, then finely grate the cheese.
- Melt the butter in a large pan, add the onion and cook gently for about 3 minutes, until softened but not browned. Add the squash, stock and cheese rind. Heat until the mixture is just simmering, then partially cover with a lid and cook gently for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and tender.
- Remove the rind from the pan and discard. Purée the mixture with most of the grated cheese until smooth (reserve just a little for the garnish). Return the soup to the pan, add the milk and salt and pepper to taste and stir to mix. Reheat until piping hot.
- Meanwhile, toast the bread, sprinkle with the reserved cheese and grill or bake to melt.
- To serve, ladle the soup into warmed bowls and top each with a piece of French toast. Sprinkle with chopped parsley or thyme and serve at once
Tip
Other edible squashes can be used to make this soup. If using small round squash why not keep the scooped out shells and ladle the soup into them for serving? Takes care of the washing up too!
