Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 390°F fan-assisted.
2. Peel and deseed the butternut squash and dice into 2cm chunks. Transfer to a baking tray. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and drizzle with a little olive oil, then roast in the oven for 35 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, drizzle a little olive oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat. While the saucepan heats up, peel and dice the onion, add to the saucepan and fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. While the onion is cooking, peel and finely dice the garlic and ginger. Slice the chilli in half and remove the seeds, (you can keep a few of the seeds if you like it spicy). Finely chop a small handful of coriander stalks. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli and coriander stalks and curry power to the pan and fry for a further 3 minutes.
5. Add the lentils, vegetable stock, coconut milk and 500ml water and season generously with salt and pepper. Bring the soup to the boil, and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on, or until the lentils are cooked.
6. Remove the squash from the oven and transfer it to a blender along with the soup and the juice of half a lime. Blend until completely smooth.
7. Ladle the soup into bowls and finish with a drizzle of the remaining coconut milk, some coriander leaves, a few slices of chilli and some cracked black pepper.