beautiful soup - butternut squash

I love soup,

especially when it's a vegetable soup.

This lurid coloured one is a butternut squash one, and while it was cooking on the hob I made some soda bread to go with it :-)

Butternut Squash Soup:
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
600ml vegetable stock (i'm using a low sodium stock these days)
1 (large) onion, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 table spoon vegetable oil
1 tea spoon dried thyme
1 tea spoon rosemary leaves (but only because I have a rosemary bush in the garden, it does add something to the soup but next time I will make it without)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 tea spoon chilli flakes
salt and pepper

1. heat the oil and then add the thyme for a few seconds
2. add the onion, garlic and chilli and season with salt and pepper
3. simmer for around 10 minutes - until the onions have softened but do not allow them to colour
4. add the squash and stock, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for around half an hour - until the squash has softened
5. blend until smooth - I have a stick blender (a must have for me and my soup making!)

Tony Singh's Soda Bread:
140g plain flour
140g wholemeal self-raising flour
1 tea spoon baking powder
1 tea spoon salt
125ml cold water
125ml plain yoghurt (or buttermilk)

1. preheat the oven to 200oC/gas-6. lightly dust a baking sheet with flour. Tip the two flours, baking powder and salt into a bowl and stir
2. make a well in the centre and gradually stir in the water and yoghurt, until combined. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes
3. shape the dough into a round on the baking sheet. leave to stand for 10 minutes before baking
4. cut a cross (1cm deep) on the top of the dough, using a floured knife. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes - the loaf should sound hollow when tapped

I didn't have any wholemeal self raising flour and so I used the wholemeal bread flour I did have and ordinary SR flour; also, his recipe does suggest buttermilk or thin yoghurt and so I used a small pot of plain yoghurt I had in the fridge

If you've not heard of Tony Singh - I love his book

I borrowed the book from the library but now have to buy it! I want to make everything in the book - a bold statement from me, given how many cook books I have!