BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND FENNEL SOUP WITH PAN-FRIED SAGE CHICKPEA DUMPLINGS — Jasmine Hemsley

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 10:05:10 GMT

Step 1

Serves 6

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Wash the butternut and then pop it onto an oven tray. Roast for 45 minutes and remove (check after 30 minutes that it isn’t burning). Allow to cool slightly and then slice lengthways — it will be very hot inside! Arrange the two halves on the tray along with the fennel quarters and the split leek, sprinkle with the salt and dot with the ghee.

Step 3

Place the tray back in the oven, reduce temperature to 180°C and roast for another 25 minutes giving the fennel and the leek a turn halfway through.

Step 4

Add the roasted fennel, leek (removing any papery bits) and the caramelised “stuck bits” to a large cooking pot. When cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scrape away the tender butternut squash flesh from the skin (if it needs a bit more cooking pop it back into the oven for 5-10 minutes). Reserve 150 grams of the softest squash flesh for the chickpea dumplings and leave any stringy bits for the main pot.

Step 5

Pour in the stock, stir in the mixed spice and bring up to a rolling boil. Pop on the lid and simmer gently on a low heat for 15 minutes while you prepare the balls.

Step 6

To make the dumplings, carefully toast the chickpea flour for about 15 minutes in a dry pan on a medium high heat until nutty and fragrant and a few shades darker — stirring often to prevent burning (you can do this while the squash is roasting in the oven). Add the toasted chickpea flour to a mixing bowl with the spices and mix. Mash in the 150 grams of butternut, finely chopped sage leaves and salt. Thoroughly combine everything using a spoon (the mixture will be wet and sticky).

Step 7

Heat a couple of tablespoons of ghee in a medium hot pan. Take a heaped teaspoon of the mixture and use another teaspoon to help shape it and place it in the pan. Fry the dumpling until golden brown all over - about 7 mins. Cool and taste, adding more salt to the dumpling mixture or sage if needed - I like a lot of sage! Then proceed to fry the rest of the dumplings.

Step 8

Use an immersion/stick blender to blend the soup, until smooth or to your liking. Taste and adjust the seasoning including the mixed spice — important as vegetable sizes vary as do stock cubes - I end up adding up to another 1/2tsp of mixed spice and 1/2tsp more salt. Ladle the hot soup into bowls, add a few sage and chickpea dumplings and garnish with extra sage.

Step 9

Save the green parts of the fennel for the stock pot. Alternatively, add them to the soup and remove any tough parts after you’ve blended — either by straining or simply while mindful eating!

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