Autumn butter nut and toasted pecan soup

Ingredients

Large butternut squash 1 each

Shelled pecan nuts 80g

White English onion 2 each

Garlic cloves peeled 2 each

Vegetable stock cube 1 each

Leek large 1 each

Double cream 100ml

Olive oil 50ml

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Split the butternut squash lengthways and remove the seeds.

Season with salt and ground black pepper, place on a roasting tray and roast in a pre heated oven at 180oc until soft.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Peel and cut the onion into 2cm pieces, remove the green part of the leek, cut lengthways wash out any grit from the leek then cut into 1cm half moons.

Chop the peeled garlic.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottom sauce pan then add the leek and onion allow to sweat until soft add the garlic.

Reduce the heat and then scrape the flesh from the squash and add the the onions and leeks.

Cover the vegetables with water , add the stock cube bring to the boil then simmer for twenty minutes.

Allow to cool then blend until smooth add the double cream then season with salt to taste.

Toast the pecan nuts in the oven until golden brown, allow to cool, roughly chop and use to garnish the soup.