Recipe : Butternut, Apple and Thyme Soup

  

Sigh, it's that time of year ahead when coughs and sniffles populate the air, and we find ourselves hiding under the duvet to escape the cold, wet, dark world and try to find some comfort under its folds.

I haven't been immune to this - a combination of being busier than I could manage, and not eating as well as I should have (unforgivable, I know) means that I have also caught a little wintery bug. I came across the idea for this soup in one of my new favourite magazines - and it was the first time I stumbled on the idea of using fruit in a savoury soup (I'm the first to admit I'm perhaps a little behind the times on this front).

The original recipe called for pears, but as I had apples in the fridge, I decided to substitute them. This is a lovely, rich combination of butternut and apple, with the fragrance of fresh thyme, and a little cream for richness - next time you feel a sniffle coming on, get into bed with a bowlful of this, and you'll be doing your body good.

Butternut, Apple and Thyme Soup
Serves 2 very generously

Ingredients:

1 small butternut, peeled, deseeded and cut into cubes

1 small potato, peeled and cut into cubes
2 apples (I used Golden Delicious) peeled, cored, and cut into cubes
500ml chicken or vegetable stock

100ml cream
1 sprig of fresh thyme, removed from the stalk
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Bring the stock to boil in a pot. Add the butternut and potato, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the butternut and potato are almost tender - about 10 minutes or so. Add the apple and thyme and simmer until butternut, potato and apple are cooked and tender. Blend until smooth (using a hand blender or liquidizer) and add the cream - you might not need 100ml, add to taste. Season and serve.