Spiced squash soup with sage and chilli butter recipe Is anything better on a cold wintry day than squash soup? INGREDIENTS 2 tbsp olive oil 2 red onions, finely chopped 2 sticks of celery, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 cinnamon stick ½ grated nutmeg ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper 1kg/2¼lb squash, peeled deseeded and cut into 3cm-chunks 1x400g/14oz tin plum tomatoes, drained and rinsed 1 litre/1¾fl oz of hot chicken or vegetable stock 100g/3½oz Greek yogurt TO SERVE 25g/1oz butter A handful of sage leaves A pinch of dried red chilli METHOD Heat the oil in a deep heavy pan over a medium heat. Add the onions, celery, garlic, cinnamon and a pinch of salt and fry for 10 minutes until it begins to colour. Add the nutmeg and pepper and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the squash and tomatoes and an extra splash of oil if it needs it, and stir well so the squash is nicely coated. Add stock, bring to the boil, then season to taste and simmer for 30-45 minutes until the squash is completely soft. Transfer to a food processor or use a stick blender to purée until smooth. Return to the pan and stir in the yogurt season to taste and keep warm. Just before serving, melt the butter in a small pan over a low heat and add the sage leaves and chilli. Fry gently for a few minutes until the sage leaves begin to turn crisp. Spoon the soup into bowls, the swirl the butter over the top and serve.