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What to do with a squash, that eternal question. Should I bake it, fry it, foam it, render it into a mere suggestion as accompaniment to something less orange, or should I take the soup route. Like the silk road but gloopier, the soup route will inevitably involve stock, garlic and onions, the very essence of the kitchen cupboard basics. And so on one of the hottest days of the year and staggering under the weight of a paranoia-enhancing post-bank holiday gueule de bois I put together this charming soup. It’s got cheese in.

Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Skill level: Easy
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3 small onions - chopped
• 2 cloves garlic - chopped
• 1 small red chilli - finely chopped
• olive oil - 4tbsp
• 1 good-sized butternut squash - peeled and diced
• stock - vegetable or chicken depending on your leanings - 1.2l
• 2 bay leaves
• good handful of parsley
• Emmental - 60g chopped, 110g finely grated
• Greek yoghurt - 200g
• cannellini beans - 410g can - rinsed and drained

Fry the onion, garlic and chilli in the oil in a large pan until soft and golden. Add the diced squash to the onion mixture and stir well. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, when the squash should have started to soften.

Pour in stock, herbs and diced cheese. Simmer for about 45 minutes, until the squash is soft. Remove the parsley and bay leaves and zap the soup. Add the yoghurt and season, keeping warm whilst you do the beans…

Finally, the cannellini beans. Take a small frying pan, add a bit of olive oil and fry the beans for a few minutes. Add the beans to the bottom of each individual bowl and pour soup over to serve, with a generous sprinkling of emmental.

Verdict: The chilli is the bonus that really adds to the flavour. Naturally the cheese also has an important part to play in this flavour symphony. Will certainly make this one again.

Drink: Water from the tap of E1.

Entertainment: Michael Palin going round Bosnia and Albania talking to chaps and having a jolly time in between the mine sweeping and cemetery visiting.