Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Onion Soup

...Preheat your oven to 200-220c...take one halved butternut squash, a red onion, and a pound of tomatoes (halved) and arrange on a roasting tray...add 6 unpeeled cloves of garlic...drizzle with olive oil, fresh Rosemary and Thyme and roast for 35 (ish) minutes, turning the tomatoes and red onion occasionally.

When roasted and soft, stick all the vegetables in a blender, and squeeze the mushy garlic from their shells. Add this garlicky mess to your veg, along with two pints of chicken stock, and blend until pureed. Transfer to a large pan and bring to the boil; then simmer until ready to eat.

Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche and black pepper to taste.

It's not often I get excited about soup but this one, made by my long-suffering girlfriend this week, really took me by surprise. Thick, hearty and with a real depth of flavour. My old mate John waxed lyrical about simple soups here and I totally know where he's coming from. If there is one theme with this blog it is this: when it comes to good food and good beer, keep it simple.