Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Rosemary and Sage

Packed Lunches - The Winter Essentials

This stuff is actually keeping me alive.

Hello people who simultaneously like to stay warm and satiated at the same time, I'm glad you're here. Full-time employment has been throwing me a few curve balls recently and I'll tell you for why.

Issue 1 - I’m still getting used to eating packed lunches again. 

Yes, whilst not the most distressing of situations to find oneself in (definitely watching too much of Lady C on I'm a Celebrity...) work has had mixed effects upon the way I view lunchtime. Part of me gets a child-like glee from rummaging through my lunch-bag - yes I take a bag of food to work with me because that is REAL LIFE - however, another part of me gets slightly anxious. I think this may be due to vividly remembering how back in days of infant school, 5-year old me once cried non-stop for an hour after discovering that my dad had packed me Dairylea spread sandwiches for lunch – of which I used to view with the same level of contempt as Cher now does her cosmetic surgeon. What was quite amusing was that I wasn’t upset because I couldn’t eat the sandwiches – I did – I ate everything regardless of how much I disliked it, but it was because I knew that my dad knew that I didn’t like Dairylea and my child brain couldn’t fathom why he would have done this this to me unless I was being punished. 

Aaaah, the innocence of childhood.

Anyway, now that I am in control of my own packed lunches, the disappointment of finding less than desirable food items lurking in my bag is but a distant memory. Some of my co-workers on the other hand do find what I choose to chomp on to be…

…well let’s just say different. For example, when I brought this particular soup into work last week in its own little mason jar (Oh ma glub, so quirky and original!) it was quickly compared to looking like ‘vegan vomit’ which I must admit did amuse me for the good part of an hour. Coupled with my gingerbread flavoured green tea, chopped up fruits/veggies and sweet potato-bakes, I think that the office may be starting to worry that they’ve employed a younger (and hopefully less withered) version of Gillian McKeith and that I’ll soon either start screaming ‘leafy greens’ at people as they go to buy sandwiches from the lunch lady or aggressively begin criticizing everyone’s stools.

Luckily for all of the humans on planet earth, I have no intention of committing such acts against my new workmates and hopefully in time they’ll come to understand my ‘less than conventional’ way of eating. It makes me feel happy and well and I suppose that is really all that matters when it come to your lifestyle. 

 Issue 2 - Working in a portacabin for the last month has reaffirmed how much I dislike being stuck in cold conditions long-term.

I know that the weather is quickly becoming a recurring topic on this blog but believe me, its never been more applicable (or British) to bang on about it than at the current moment. The south of England was recently hit with ‘Hurricane Barney’ which in hindsight was not really a hurricane so much a some powerful gusts of wind but nonetheless, where I come from, you know the weather is getting serious when the wheelie-bin gets blown over. Along with Barney came his mate, Jack Frost and it now seems that the temperature outside has dropped faster than an erection confronted with a photo of me in drag.

If anyone wanted to test the above claim, here you go...

It’s not ok when you’re forced to rhythmically twitch your legs like a possessed turkey under the desk to keep them at an acceptable level of warmth. This is why hot lunches are not only preferable for me at the moment but have actually become a survival necessity. Without heated food to see me through the working day, I run the serious risk of freezing solid mid-email and as a result, soup recipes like this one are going to be relied upon heavily over the coming months. The warming food may not stop the army of mice that have taken up residence in the drawers or sort out the near hazmat-required state of the men’s loos but it’s a start to making the days easier I guess ;). 

Happy hot glugging!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Rosemary and Sage

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash
1-2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion - peeled and diced
3 cloves of garlic - peeled and chopped/minced (my motto is 'if you can't taste garlic, you need more garlic'
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried rosemary
2 cups (500ml) vegetable stock (reduced salt if desired)
2 cups almond milk (or milk of choice)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and pierce the squash multiple times all over the skin. 

Once heated, put the squash in the oven and forget about it - well not completely - leave it to roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour. You'll know when its done when it becomes soft enough to easily pierce the skin with a knife.

Carefully cut the squash in half and then leave it to cool for 5-10 minutes (cutting it helps this happen faster).

Whilst the squash is cooling, put the oil in a pan over a medium heat and cook the onions for a couple of minutes before adding the garlic, sage and rosemary. 

After cooking for a couple of minutes more, add in the stock and the almond milk and stir to combine. reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer.

Now, return to the beloved squash and tell him how much you missed his company. Then using a spoon, scoop out his guts/seeds and remove all of his skin. 

Place the flesh in the liquid mixture and discard the squash skin (or if a greedy cretin like me, snack on it whilst finishing the soup).

Break up any large parts of squash with wooden spoon but don’t worry if really lumpy (mine was at this stage). Allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes to combine those flavors and finally use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender/food processor in batches and blend up to the desired consistency. A spoon is the most accepted way to consume this soup, although I have had success simply chugging it like you would a beer.