Mary Berry, queen of baking, is also a bit of a midweek meal hero too.
We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about how she speeds up her lasagne recipe, as well as her ahead-of-its-time “marry me”-style Tuscan chicken twist.
She’s got a pretty cracking tomato soup recipe, too.
With a nip in the air at the moment, though, I’m not content with just one tasty soup from the former Great British Bake-Off judge.
So, I was glad to discover her butternut squash soup recipe, which boasts two lesser-used soup spices we’d usually associate more with baking.
Which are?
The warming spices include ginger and nutmeg.
Nutmeg, which is a lesser-known feature of lots of Italian cooking, pairs perfectly with gourds like pumpkin and squash.
Americans often pair the two in their pie recipes – and it’s in the iconic pumpkin spice latte mix too.
Mary insists that the nutmeg in her soup be “freshly grated”. This makes it both tastier and less overpowering than the more concentrated powder kind.
She also wants us to use ginger root, which doesn’t pack as much of a punch as its powdered form, instead of the stuff from the jar.
Apparently, she cooks the ginger off with the onion, carrot, and celery mix in some butter for a nutty, gently warming flavour.
Other seasonings include black pepper and rosemary.
Do I have to use butternut squash?
No. Mary Berry simply chose that option because “unlike pumpkin, butternut squash are available all year”.
You can get the same “sweet orange flesh” from pumpkins, other varieties of squash, sweet potatoes, and even carrots.
The advantage of squashes and pumpkin, of course, does not just include their seasonality; they also contain large seeds that you can roast as the soup cooks for a tasty, crunchy topping.
They crisp up well in the air fryer too.
Whichever you choose, Mary’s preparation trick may prove helpful.
“Roasting them first in the oven means that you don’t have to tackle removing the tough skin, and it fills the kitchen with a delicious aroma,” she says.