Cream of butternut squash soup

Cream of butternut squash soup

From the kitchen of  BOBBINS2002

servings |  6
estimated Points® per serving | 4

* 1 large butternut squash
* low-fat spray cooking oil
* 2 pints skimmed milk
* 4 cardomon pods
* pepper and salt to taste

To garnish:
* 1 large parsnip
* 1 chilli pepper

* Slice the squash in half and remove seed from centre. Score diagonals into its flesh with a knife and squirt each half with low-fat cooking oil spray
* Place the halves in a baking tray and cover with aluminium foil, and bake in a moderate oven until soft (30-40 mins)
* Remove roasted squash flesh and transfer to a large saucepan
* Pour in milk and crushed cardomon pods and blend with a hand-held blender (cover with a tea towel to prevent a mess)
* Cook on a low heat until the mixture thickens slightly

Garnish:
* Slice the parsnip with a Julienne shredder and finely chop the chilli pepper
* shallow fry the strips and chopped chilli until the parsnip is crisp
* remove parsnip to a dish covered in kitchen roll and leave to dry

To serve:
* Ladel soup into bowls and garnish with crisp parsnip strips  

For a vegan alternative, use soya milk instead of skimmed milk