Health food blogger Sophie Gordon brings us this warming recipe to brighten up the dreariest of January days, using creamy coconut yogurt as the star of the dairy, gluten and soya free dish.
Ingredients.
1 medium sized butternut squash BUY
3 carrots BUY
1 leek BUY
2 small garlic cloves BUY
Small knob of ginger – grated finely BUY
1 tsp dried lemon grass BUY
2 tsp ground coriander BUY
2 tsp ground cumin BUY
2 tsp ground turmeric BUY
1 tsp cayenne pepper BUY
Handful of fresh coriander BUY
Chilli flakes BUY
2L vegetable stock (roughly) BUY
350g The Coconut Collaborative yogurt BUY
¼ – ½ lime – juiced BUY
Salt and pepper to taste
Method.
1. Pre heat your oven to around 190°c. Slice your butternut squash in half (length ways), de-seed and then place flat onto a baking sheet; insides down. Put into the oven and roast for around 35-40 minutes.
2. Put your rice on as rice takes a little longer to cook; follow packet instructions for correct water to rice ratio.
3. Chop up your leeks and carrots. Sauté in some water with the garlic and ginger until a little softer. Add the ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, lemon grass and chilli. Continue to fry, adding a little more water if it starts to dry up.
4. Once this is fragrant and the carrots and leeks soft, add in your vegetable stock. Bring to the boil then allow to simmer for around 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Once your squash is done, remove from the oven and let it cool for a few moments. Scoop out the insides. They should be very soft so will easily come away from the skin.
6. Put into the pot with the stock and mix. Bring back to the boil and then add a squeeze of lime and the fresh coriander, season to taste.
7. Using a hand held blender, blitz your soup until thick and creamy. Add the coconut yoghurt and stir well.
8. To serve, ladle a good serving of the soup into a bowl, adding rice if desired. Top with some fresh coriander and any other seasonings.
*You could also add another dollop of coconut yoghurt on at the end to make it extra creamy