Butternut squash (and sausage) soup

This semi-keto soup is flavourful and satisfying.

Crème fraiche could be left out and ghee/butter replaced with other animal fats or coconut oil to make it dairy-free

Leave out the sausage if making it vegetarian/vegan

Ingredients

• Ghee/lard/beef dripping/goose fat/coconut oil to fry the vegetables

• 1 onion, chopped

• 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled

• 1 stick celery, chopped

• 1 bell pepper (whatever colour but red is best for this), chopped

• 2 sprigs thyme

• Salt

• Black pepper (ground)

• ½L water

• 1tsp nutmeg (ground)

• 1 butternut squash, peeled cubed

• 4 medium tomatoes , chopped

• 1 chicken stock cube, crumbled (or use bone broth, home made chicken broth)

• ½ TBSP apple cider vinegar

• 1-2 knobs butter (or other oils if dairy free)

• 1 pack sausage, chopped small

• Per bowl of soup, 1TBSP crème fraiche

Directions

1.    Chop onions, garlic, celery, bell pepper, sprigs of thyme

2.    Sauté in ghee (or other oils) – low heat to start then move up to medium heat – stir until onion is caramelised

3.    Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste

4.    Fry for minute until aromatic

5.    Add water, butternut squash, tomatoes, stock cubes

6.    Bring to simmer

7.    Simmer until squash is soft

8.    Meanwhile fry sausages in a separate frying pan (or in oven) until cooked through

9. Chop sausages into small pieces – keep separate until end

10.   Blitz the soup (but not sausages)

11.  Add ACV, butter

12.  Add sausages, mix well so that pieces of sausages are floating evenly in soup

13.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste

14.  To serve, if using dairy, add crème fraiche into every bowl and swirl it a little to make a nice pattern