Roasted Spiced Butternut Soup

Serving: 6 | Cooking time: 3 hours | Difficulty level: Easy

INGREDIENTS

Soup

• 1 ½ kg butternut, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½cm cubes (2 large butternuts)
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into ½cm chunks
• 30ml (2 Tbsp.) olive oil
• 3 sachets Huletts EquiSweet
• 5ml (1 tsp.) ground cinnamon
• 5ml butter, cut into cubes
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 20ml (4 tsp.) vegetable or chicken stock powder prepared with
  • 1 litre (4 cups) boiling water
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Topping

• 250ml (1 cup) low-fat yoghurt
• 1ml (pinch) ground cinnamon
• 1ml (pinch) nutmeg
• 1ml (pinch) salt
• 1ml (pinch) garlic/onion powder
• Chives, chopped to garnish

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 230°C.
2. Toss the butternut and carrot together with 25ml of olive oil (keeping 5ml aside). Sprinkle with Huletts Equisweet and cinnamon and divide and spread onto two baking trays.
3. Roast until the butternut and carrot have browned (about 40 minutes). Turn two- or three-times during cooking. Set aside.
4. Place 5ml butter and remaining 5ml of olive oil, onion and garlic into a large saucepan over medium heat and sauté until soft and lightly brown.
5. Add the roasted butternut and carrot to the saucepan and add the prepared stock, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until vegetables are soft (about 10 minutes). Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
6. Blend soup with a blender until completely smooth. Season with black pepper.
7. Return soup to saucepan and keep warm.

Topping

1. Mix the low-fat yoghurt, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic powder and salt. Set aside.
2. Serve soup with a dollop of the spiced yoghurt, chopped chives and a slice of low-GI bread, if desired.

Tip: Freezes well for up to three months.