When a pot of squash soup tastes a little flat, the answer is often at the beginning: too much water and not enough browning. Roasting butternut before it meets the stock concentrates its sweetness and gives the finished soup more depth. It is a useful approach for a cool evening when dinner needs to be straightforward.
Give the squash room
Heat the oven to 220°C. Peel and seed 800 g of butternut squash, cut it into roughly 3 cm pieces, and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread the pieces in one layer on a baking tray and roast for 25 to 35 minutes, turning once, until browned at the edges and easily pierced with a knife.
Start with less stock
While the squash roasts, soften 1 chopped onion in a saucepan with a little oil over medium-low heat. Add the roasted squash and 600 ml of vegetable or chicken stock, then bring the pan to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes. Blend until smooth, adding more stock a little at a time if the soup is thicker than you want.
Adjust at the end
Taste before adding more salt, especially if your stock is already seasoned. A small squeeze of lemon can brighten the sweetness, while black pepper gives the bowl a warmer finish. Keep any leftovers covered in the refrigerator and reheat until steaming, stirring so the soup warms evenly.