Butternut squash is one of the most nutritious and healthiest vegetables you can have! It’s low in fat, contains lots of fibre and potassium which is great for healthy bones and is also a good source of vitamin B6! As well as being good for you, it’s tasty and can be used for a variety of dishes. So you can tell just why we love this hearty ingredient, especially during the autumn and winter months of the year.

You can buy butternut squash frozen in chunks, which is really easy to use and can be added to lots of stews and soups for extra nutrition, taste and flavour. Simply cook, blitz and serve as a soup.

One of our recipes of the month using this nutritious ingredient is this; Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut, Chilli and Garlic – this punchy flavour combination will certainly warm you up in the cooler months.

Ingredients:

• 500g frozen butternut squash (chunks)
• 500ml vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 75ml coconut cream
• 70g chopped frozen onion
• 1 tbsp frozen chopped chilli
• 1 tbsp frozen chopped garlic
• 1 tsp mild curry powder

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a sauce pan and add the butternut squash and onions. Cook these over a medium heat for 15 minutes until they start to soften.
2. Add the chilli, garlic and curry powder and gently cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add vegetable stock and bring to the boil then gently simmer the soup for 20 minutes until the vegetables are fully cooked.
4. Add the coconut cream to the soup and then blend or liquidize until completely smooth.
5. Return to the pan and bring back the boil, check the seasoning and serve.

We love this recipe served with some thick, warm bread or croutons.

Our second recipe of the month is something a little different, it makes a great vegetarian main or can be used to accompany any roast. We love this Moroccan Spiced Butternut Squash, Albert Bartlett Crisp Roast Potatoes & Fresh Mint Salsa recipe served with a leg of roast lamb! Lamb and mint are a perfect combination.

Ingredients:

• 600g frozen butternut squash (chunks)
• 1tsp ground cumin
• 1tsp ground fennel seeds
• 1tsp ground coriander
• 1tsp turmeric
• 100ml rapeseed oil
• 600g frozen Albert Bartlett Rooster roast potatoes

For the mint salsa

• 1 bunch mint
• 1 shallot
• 1 tsp capers
• 1 tsp English mustard
• 50ml extra virgin rapeseed oil

Instructions:

1. Place the squash into a mixing bowl.
2. Add the spices and rapeseed oil to the bowl, mix well together.
3. Place into an oven proof dish and bake in an oven heated to 180  ̊C for 15 minutes, turn over the squash and add the Albert Bartlett roast potatoes, return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes until the potatoes are golden, crisp and hot in the middle and the squash chunks are soft.

For the mint salsa

1. Pick the mint leafs from the stalk and place into a food processor with the remaining ingredients.
2. Blitz all the ingredients together until a paste is formed.

To serve

1. Spoon the salsa over the squash and roast potatoes before serving.

These wholesome recipes are great to serve this Halloween and Bonfire Night if you’ve got lots of family and friends over, and using frozen ingredients will help to make the dishes even healthier with lots of flavour that everyone will love.

For more recipes using frozen food, head to our recipe section here.