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Roasted butternut squash soup with chilli & ginger

This is the soup that broke me – it turned me from being a model into wanting to be a chef. I made it one autumnal day in Battersea and the sweet, deep, slightly spicy taste blew me away.

Makes about 1.2 litres, serves 4

1 medium butternut squash, about 800g, unpeeled, deseeded and cut in half from top to bottom

1 clove of garlic, unpeeled and squashed

2 tbsp olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

50g butter

1 large onion, peeled and finely diced

1 x 2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

Pinch of dried chilli flakes (optional) or 1–2 chillies, deseeded and finely chopped (I like my chillies quite hot), plus extra to serve

900ml of liquid chicken stock (veggie stock is good but chicken stock usually has a better flavour)

Squeeze of lime juice

To serve

Splash of coconut milk

Few fresh coriander leaves

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F), Gas Mark 7. Put the butternut squash halves on a large roasting tray with the garlic. Slash the squash with a knife, then drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and season well. Roast in the oven for about 30–35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the squash slides through easily and it is nice and soft.

While the squash is roasting, put the remaining tablespoon of oil and the butter in a large pan over a low heat. Add the onion and seasoning and leave to soften right down, stirring occasionally. This is a little time-consuming and can take up to 20 minutes or so, but it is worth it for the sweetness of flavour.

Remove the roasted squash from the oven and leave to cool a little, turn the oven off and pop some bowls in to warm. As soon as the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the skin and set aside, discarding the skin.

Once the onion is soft, squeeze in the roasted garlic clove, discarding the skin, then add the squash, ginger, chilli and stock. Bring to the boil then take it off the heat.

Next, get another large pan at the ready. Working in batches, blitz the soup in a blender, pouring the smooth soup into the clean pan. I like to blitz it until it is really, really smooth. Once all the soup has been blitzed, return the soup to the hob to heat through until piping hot. Taste and season with salt and pepper if you think it needs it. At this stage I often add a squeeze of lime juice, which really lifts the flavours of the soup.

Ladle the piping hot soup into the warmed serving bowls and serve with a little coconut milk drizzled over the top and a sprinkling of coriander leaves and finely sliced chilli.