GREAT in winter, but I really think that this is a super dish to have in Spring as the warmth of the flavours and aromas bring a fabulous taste and this is further enhanced by adding the rind from the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese as it cooks. Simply fry the onion, add the butternut squash, stock and Parmigiano-Reggiano rind and cook gently for 20 minutes. Remove the rind and blend the soup until smooth. Then, grill slices of French bread topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and after ladling the soup into warmed bowls, top each one with a piece of French toast.
WHAT YOU NEED
150g Parmigiano-Reggiano, with rind
25g butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped into chunks
900ml hot vegetable stock
150ml milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
4-6 slices French bread
fresh parsley or thyme, chopped to garnish
WHAT TO DO
Keep the rind from the Parmigiano-Reggiano, cut into chunks, then finely grate the cheese.
Melt butter in a large saucepan, gently fry onion for about three minutes, until softened, but not browned. Add butternut squash, vegetable stock and Parmigiano-Reggiano rind. Heat until mixture is just simmering, then turn heat to low and cook gently for about 20 minutes, partially covered, until vegetables are soft and tender.
Remove rind from saucepan, transfer soup to blender or food processor and add most of the grated cheese, reserving about 25g for garnishing. Blend soup for 15-20 seconds, until completely smooth. Return it to saucepan and add milk. Stir thoroughly and reheat until piping hot. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Meanwhile, toast slices of French bread, sprinkle remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano on top and grill until melted. Ladle soup into warmed bowls, then top each portion with one piece of French toast. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or thyme and a little extra ground black pepper, then serve.
You’ll need roughly 500g of butternut squash when peeled and deseeded. If you have any left over, simply roast it until tender to serve as a vegetable with another meal. To store the soup, cool it quickly, then refrigerate for up to three days, or freeze for up to three months.
