Looking for a warming soup as the weather turns cooler? Try this Roasted Squash and Pancetta soup created by Donal Skehan, TV chef and food writer.

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Donal tells us that he “really loves the combination of roasted squash and pancetta and regularly use it to make a rich risotto. It transfers beautifully in soup form and makes a rich velvet soup.

You could also add a bulb of garlic with its top chopped off in with the squash as it roasts, and then squeeze out the soft and mellow cloves to add to the soup for an extra dimension of flavour.”

The recipe serves 6.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil
• 1 butter nut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 2 large carrots, finely chopped
• 12 sage leaves
• 8 slices of pancetta
• 1 1/2 litre of chicken stock
• Sea salt and ground black pepper
• Crème Fraiche to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C.
2. Place the butternut squash in a roasting tin, toss in a little oil and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Drape over the pancetta and sprinkle in the sage leaves.
3. Place in the oven for 10 minutes until the pancetta is crisp. Remove it and the sage leaves and set aside on a plate. Place the squash back in the oven to roast for a further 45 minutes or until soft and slightly charred on the edges.
4. Remove from the oven and set aside.
5. Add a drop of oil to a medium pot over a medium heat and gently fry the onion and carrots until soft.
6. Add in the stock and bring to the boil. Drop in the roasted squash and sage leaves and cook for a further 5 minutes.
7. Take the pot off the heat and using a hand blender blitz until smooth and velvet. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper to taste. At this point you could also stir through a few tablespoons of cream if you wish.
8. Serve in bowls with a dollop of crème fraiche and strips of crispy pancetta.

You might also enjoy these recipes: Cauliflower Soup and Warming Chickpea Stew

This recipe and others are available on www.donalskehan.com

If you have tried this recipe let us know what you thought of it in the comments below