Roast squash, apple and barley soup
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Ant Duncan
Roast squash, apple and barley soup
Not only is pearl barley a great budget buy, but it’s also highly nutritious and adds a lovely texture to this warming winter soup. Parsnip, swede or celeriac would also work well if you want to vary the veg
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
331Kcal
Fat
10gr
Saturates
1gr
Carbs
50gr
Sugars
16gr
Fibre
7gr
Protein
7gr
Salt
1.6gr
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, about 1-1.25kg
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1½ vegetable stock cubes
- 125g pearl barley, rinsed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 Bramley apple
- 4 thyme sprigs, leaves picked, plus extra to serve
- dairy-free cream (or regular if preferred), to serve
Step by step
- Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Peel and deseed the squash and cut into 2-3cm chunks. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the oil and some seasoning. Spread out on a large oven tray and roast for 30-35 minutes, until tender.
- Meanwhile, put the stock cubes and pearl barley in a large pan with 1 litre of water. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes until the barley is tender. Strain through a sieve over a large measuring jug (or bowl) to catch the stock and set the barley aside. Top up the stock with water until you have 900ml.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan and gently cook the onion, covered, for 5-7 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Peel, core and dice the apple. Add it to the pan with the roasted squash and thyme. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
-
Blend the soup until smooth using a liquidiser or stick blender. Return to the pan, stir in the cooked pearl barley and season to taste. Ladle into bowls, swirl through some cream, if you like, and scatter over a few extra thyme leaves.To storeThe soup keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days, or can be frozen – you may need to add a splash of water on reheating.
