Squash & Vegetable Soup

Soups are great place for nervous home cooks to start experimenting with customizing a basic recipe. A fantastic medium to use up those slightly dying leftovers - roast broccoli from the other day? Toss her in! Wilty spinach or herbs? Hello flavor! Mix and match and adjust until you've built the steamy bowl of your dreams.

Ingredients:

• Vegetable Stock

• 1 butternut squash, peeled & 1 in cubes

• 1 Sweet potato, peeled & 1 in cubes

• Cabbage, sliced, 3 cups

• Spinach, fresh or 1 pack frozen

• 1 can butterbeans

• 1 onion, roughly chopped

• 1 leek, 1/4 in slices

• 1 carrot, roughly chopped

• 6 Garlic cloves, roughly chopped

• 3 Thyme Sprig

• 1 tsp fennel seeds

• 1/2 tsp chili flakes

• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• Salt & pepper

Method:

1. Sweat out chopped onion, leeks, carrot in a large pot until translucent.

2. Toss in spices with vegetable base. If you don't have one of these spices, feel free to leave it out! I think the most important flavors in this are the fennel seeds and cumin seeds to give the soup a beautifully aerobatic base. Don't have chili flakes but still want a bit of heat? Add some cayenne or sliced chili peppers. Don't be afraid to customize!

3. Drop in sweet potato, butternut squash, thyme (left whole) and garlic. Top off with vegetable stock so all the veg is well covered - about 9 - 12 cups.

4. Bring soup to a gentle simmer until squash and potatoes are tender. Add in your cabbage and can of butter beans.

5. When cabbage is tender, add defrosted or fresh spinach. Adjust for seasoning and enjoy!