Spicy Butternut Soup with crunchy croutons

This is a recipe that you have got to try. It is the most simple and delicious comfort food. All that you need to do is to fry your onions and garlic and add the cubed butternut to that. The butternut should just take about 20 minutes to cook. Add cream and chilli to taste and blend until smooth.

A spicy, warm soup, made with butternut, served with crunchy croutons and garnished with chopped garlic chives. Perfect for a cold winters day.

Ingredients:

500g butternut, cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon of chilli powder or 1 chilli finely chopped
200ml fresh cream or milk
pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
2 slices of bread cut into cubes


Method:

1.  In a saucepan fry the onions on moderate heat in a little butter or margarine, until soft and caramelised.
2.  Add the crushed garlic and cook for a few seconds.
3. Add the butternut , chilli powder or chopped chilli, nutmeg and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the butternut is softened. You can add a little water to the            butternut as it is cooking to avoid burning.
4. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
5. Remove from the stove and allow to cool for a few minutes.
6. Put the cooked butternut into a blender. Add the cream or milk and blend until the soup is thick and smooth.
7. To make the croutons, lightly fry the cubed pieces of bread in a little butter or margarine until crunchy and golden brown.
8. Pour soup into a soup bowl and serve hot with croutons. Garnish with chives.

 Enjoy ❤