Serves 6

When it’s cold outside you want something warm and nourishing and my Thai red curry spiced soup is the perfect remedy. Now, this does have a good kick and if you would rather omit the Thai element then by all means leave out the curry paste; it will still be luxuriously silky and delicious. Serve with warm bread. Lovely.

• Ingredients:
• 1/2 butternut squash cut into one-inch cubes
• 1 large sweet potato cut into one-inch cubes
• 1 tsp Thai red curry paste
• 1 small tin of coconut milk
• 3 lime leaves
• 1.5 litres of vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: It really is as simple as putting all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bringing it to a simmer until the vegetables are tender (you can test this by piercing them with a sharp knife – if it goes in easily they are ready).

Step 2: Once cooked remove from the heat and blend (I use a stick blender – just be careful not to splash the contents, it will be extremely hot!) I blend the lime leaves too although you can always remove them beforehand if you’d rather not.

This soup freezes well and is excellent for lunch or as a starter. It’s vegan and gluten free (as long as your stock and curry paste are gluten free) to boot!