This warming golden soup is so comforting and very easy to make, especially if you have a blender. It came about as a result of my rummaging in the fridge looking for soup ingredients and this was all I had. And I’m very glad I did because it’s become one of my favorite winter soups.

I make batches of ginger paste which I highly recommend because you can add a touch more ginger at the very end, allowing the gingery aroma to perfume the soup without overwhelming it. It also means you aren’t constantly throwing out moldy lumps of fresh ginger that lurk in your fridge because you bought too much the last time.

Instructions on making ginger (or garlic) paste are below.

Sweet Potato, Ginger & Butternut Squash Soup

SWEET POTATO, BUTTERNUT & GINGER SOUP

(Serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

2lbs (1kilo) of butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds scooped out

1 very large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch (5cm) chunks

1-2 tablespoons of ginger paste, divided to taste (instructions to follow)

1 bay leaf

1 medium-large yellow onion, peeled and chopped

2 quarts of vegetable or chicken broth

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Action:

Heat the oven to 350F (180C). Brush the cut sides of the squash with a little oil, sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and place cut sides down on a foil lined baking tray. Roast for 45 minutes or until tender when squeezed. Cool and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Transfer to a large heavy saucepan with a lid and add the remaining ingredients. Season to taste with a good grind of sea salt and freshly milled black pepper.

Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes or so, until the vegetables are tender. Add a touch more ginger paste for a really fragrant soup and once it’s cooled enough, remove the bay leaf, adjust the seasoning and blend the lot until you have a lovely smooth, golden  soup.

This soup freezes really well, as does the ginger paste, directions below:

Peel a large lump of fresh ginger and cut it into chunks. Blend in a food processor with a small splash of water and a little vegetable oil (not extra-v olive oil), until you have a soft paste. Add more water/oil if you think it looks too stiff. Freeze in ice cube trays for use in any recipe that required fresh ginger – and it keeps in the fridge in a small screw-top jar for a couple of weeks as well.

Note – you can do the exact same thing with peeled garlic cloves to make a garlic paste.