Butternut Soup with Blue Cheese and Toasted Walnuts

Butternut Soup with Blue Cheese and Toasted Walnuts Recipe

Ingredients (serve 2 as a main or 4 people as an appetiser)

800g butternut squash* (peeled, seeded and cut in cubes)

1 apple (peeled, seeded and diced)

1 shallot (sliced)

1 tablespoon butter**

700ml vegetable stock

salt, pepper

Toppings

40g crumbly blue cheese***

1 teaspoon olive oil

30g walnuts

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

Optional: cream to drizzle on top.

1. Put the butter in a large saucepan (or soup pot) over a medium heat. When melted, add the sliced shallot and stir for 3 minutes. Add the butternut and apple and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Pour the vegetable stock (it should cover the butternut and apple pieces) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 20/25 minutes (check that the butternut cubes are tender).

3. While the soup is cooking, prepare the walnut topping. Put a teaspoon of olive oil in a small frying pan over medium to high heat. Add in the walnuts and stir for 3 minutes. Sprinkle the dried rosemary, stir for another minute. You can leave them as they are or chop roughly and transfer into a small serving bowl.

4. When the soup is cooked, remove two ladles worth of stock and keep aside in a bowl. Puree the soup with a blender (I use a hand held one) until smooth. If you like a thick soup, leave as it is. If you prefer it thinner, stir in some of the stock set aside****.

Divide the soup between the bowls, drizzle some cream on the top (optional) then sprinkle with the blue cheese and toasted walnuts. Et voilà!

Notes:

* This is the amount of butternut once peeled and seeded (the whole vegetable was more than 900g - even though the shop sticker said 600g).

** For a vegan version, replace the butter with olive oil and skip the cheese and cream (coconut cream drizzled on top would be equally delicious!).

*** I used Fourme d'Ambert but I have also tried this recipe with Bleu d'Auvergne and Stilton which both crumbled well. If you are vegetarian, use an alternative blue cheese (all the ones mentioned are made with animal rennet).

****If you have kept some of the stock aside, why not chilling or freezing it and use it in a delicious risotto!

Bon appétit!