Butternut Squash Soup with Rice

Ingredients

• 1lb butternut squash peeled, seeded and cubed (I bought the pre-cubed once, it saves time)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup red rice (I used Himalayan red rice, you can use wild rice or any other nutty variety of rice)
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 Spanish chorizo sausages, casings removed and sliced into thick rounds.
• 1/4 cup fresh sweet corn kennels
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Season the butternut squash with 1/2tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. In a blender or food processor, puree the squash with 1/2 cup of the chicken stock till smooth. Keep aside.
2. Rinse the rice and place the rice along with 1 cup of the chicken stock in a pot. Bring this to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat for about 20-15 minutes or till the rice is tender. Follow the package instructions to cook the rice, since the different types of rice require different cooking time and rice-to-liquid ratio.
3. Heat the rest of the olive oil in a large saucepan. When the oil is hot, add the sausages and cook till well browned. Add the chopped onions, corn and bay leaves and saute till onions are soft. Add the paprika and mix well to combine, cook stirring frequently for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the remaining chicken stock and squash puree and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice and cook for another 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley if using and serve warm.