A sumptuous and rich soup bursting with goodness in every mouthful. Shiitake mushrooms contain beta glucans and a little Vitamin D which are known to be very supportive to the immune system. I have combined these with butternut squash for vitamin A, as well as garlic and thyme which are both known to be helpful for winter health.
The chestnuts give this soup a homely nourishing taste, and also add some protein and healthy fat, so it’s nice and filling. I have used fresh chicken stock as this is also known as “Jewish Penicillin” and is very soothing on a sore tum. Add parsley in at the end as this contains lots of lovely vitamin C!
Ingredients
- 0.5 Butternut Squash
- 1 glug Olive Oil
- 1 knob Butter
- 1 Leek
- 150 g Shiitake Mushrooms
- 150 g Chestnuts
- 1 tbsp Thyme (fresh or dried)
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 litre Chicken Stock (or duck, or vegetable stock)
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 tbsp Parsley (finely chopped)
- Greek Yoghurt (or kefir)
Units
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 200 degrees.
- Cut the butternut squash into chunks and roast in a glug of olive oil for 25-30 minutes until tender and brown.
- In the meantime, slice up the leeks and mushrooms.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the leeks. Cook for 3-5 minutes until soft and add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, chestnuts and stock. Simmer gently whilst the butternut squash is cooking.
- Remove the butternut squash from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before removing the skins. Then add the flesh to the soup mixture.
- Cook for a few minutes, add the parsley and then blend up to make a lovely smooth soup.
- Season to taste and then serve with finely chopped parsley and a swirl of Greek plain yoghurt or kefir.
Recipe Notes
Cooks Tips:
- Suitable for the whole family including weaning babies – just take off some for your baby before seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Shiitake mushrooms are quite expensive, so you may prefer to substitute chestnut mushrooms, which are almost as good.
- Vegan/vegetarian: use vegetables stock and swap butter for olive oil.
- Nut-free: omit the chestnuts and double up on the butternut squash.
- Dairy-free: omit the Greek yoghurt
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days, suitable for freezing up to 3 months.
