How to make butternut squash, butter bean and pancetta/bacon soup

Continuing with my current theme of things to do with a butternut squash, I thought it was time to revive my old recipe for soup. This soup is obviously more of a Winter dish. However, let's be honest, some days last week I've been wondering what season we have really been in what with the cold and heavy rain. Anyway, if you feel the need for a dinnertime soup for comfort or a lunchtime cockle warmer, here is my butternut, butter bean and bacon soup.

(4 to 6 servings (depending on whether it is a starter or main meal))

Ingredients:

100 g of dried butter beans, soaked in water overnight, then drained and boiled in fresh water for 40-45 mins or alternatively 1 tin of butter beans which have been drained
1 butternut squash, cut in quarters
1 white onion, very finely chopped
1 stick celery, very finely chopped
1 pack cubetti de pancetta or bacon pieces or lardons
1-3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped (how garlicky do you like it??)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 litre stock (chicken preferably - don't use a cube, use either the liquid stuff (I recommend knorr touch of taste) or homemade)
1 potato peeled and diced very finely
olive oil

1. Cook and peel butternut squash as per my recent instructions:

http://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-to-roast-butternut-squash.html 

2. Chop into fine dice

3. Fry onion, celery, and pancetta in olive oil for 5 mins
4. Add garlic and fry for about another 5 mins - until the onion and celery is soft
5. Add squash, butterbeans and spices and allow to heat through whilst stirring
6. When heated, add stock and potatoes
7. Cook for 10-15 mins
8. Blend with hand blender (or if you are flash, with a liquidiser)
9. Add a nice knob of butter (if you aren't watching your weight) and mix through. Creme Fraiche is a lower calorie substitute.
10. Serve with nice crusty bread

Enjoy!

From a recipe originally posted on Facebook by Snigdha Nag on Friday, 30 October 2009 at 20:52