No-Waste Winter Squash Soup

Ingredients

• 1 kg Crown Prince Squash
• 1 white onion
• 2 stalks of celery
• 1 cup cashews (or a tin of white beans)
• 3 cm fresh ginger, grated
• 1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds or powder
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp sesame seeds
• salt
• olive oil

Method

• Peel and deseed the squash. Clear any remaining flesh from the seeds, toss them with a little oil and salt and roast in a medium oven for about 15 mins (take them out when you hear them starting to pop).
• Cut the skin into julienned pieces, toss with a little oil and salt and sesame seeds and roast till golden and crunchy (try not to eat them all before the soup is ready!) 
• Cut the flesh into chunks. 
• Chop the onion and celery into small pieces and sweat them off with the ginger in a generous glug of olive oil and a little sea salt. I like to cook these aromatics down well on a low heat with a lid on the pan, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 mins.
• Add the spices and cook for a couple more mins stirring continuously until the spices are fragrant.
• Now add the chunks of squash and the nuts/legumes and stir to coat with the aromatics.
• Pour in enough boiling water to cover by about an inch. Pop the lid on and cook until the squash is very soft (about 20 to 30 mins). Allow to cool a little then blitz till smooth.
• Adjust seasoning to your liking and if the soup is too thick, add a little more boiling water and blitz again (do this gradually until the soup is the thickness you prefer) 
• Pour into bowls and top with the crispy pumpkin skin and crunchy seeds. A silky bowl of warming goodness!