Spiced butternut squash soup

I'll stick my neck out and say that this is the best butternut squash soup you'll ever eat. And it's all my own invention!

Ingredients

• RYVITA^® Cracked Black Pepper
• 1 butternut squash
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 a pack of reduced fat cream cheese (Philadelphia or similar)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of minced ginger
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp chilli powder
• Vegetable stock
• Olive oil
• Thinly sliced chorizo

Method

Peel the squash and dice it. Add a glug of olive oil and coat the squash before placing it in a pre-heated oven at 220°F, seasoned with black pepper. Roast for about 40 mins (give it a stir from time to time), keeping an eye on the colour until it's browning and cooked through as this will sweeten and deepen the flavour, which is what you want!

While the oven is on, pop 4 thin slices of chorizo (the thin sausages - not the big salami size) per person on a baking tray and keep an eye on them until they crisp and curl at the edges! Take them out at this stage and set them aside, keeping the oil in reserve.

Meanwhile, in your soup pan, fry the chopped onion until soft adding the garlic, ginger, cayenne and chilli powder.

Pour 2 pints of hot vegetable stock into the pan and then add the butternut squash, simmer for 5-10 mins, then add the cream cheese.

Using a hand blender, blend until smooth. If it's looking very thick, simply add a little more stock. Do a quick taste test: if you fancy a little more heat (we all have our own preferences in that regard), add a little more cayenne and/or chilli powder, stir in and heat through.

Pour into bowls and place the slices of chorizo on top of the soup, like croutons, and drizzle a little of the chorizo oil on top as garnish.

There. You're done! Wasn't that easy? Serve with Cracked Black Pepper Ryvita for dipping!