Preparation

• 1
  1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees or 200 degrees fan oven. 2. Peel the sweet potatoes and chop into small chunks. Peel and deseed the butternut squash and do the same.
• 2
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large roasting pan then add the chunks of squash and sweet potato, tossing them to coat in the oil. Sprinkle on the brown sugar then roast in the hot oven for 35-40 minutes, stirring it around once or twice, until the pieces are soft and beginning to brown on the edges.
• 3
  4. Peel and finely chop the onions then peel the cloves of garlic. Heat the butter in a large saucepan with a tablespoon of olive oil and gently cook the onion for 5-6 minutes to soften it, then add the crushed garlic and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add the roasted squash and sweet potato to the pan. Gradually stir in the hot stock, add the cumin and allspice and bring to a simmer. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes.
• 4
  5. Remove the soup from the heat and blend until completely smooth. Return to the heat and season to taste with salt and plenty of black pepper. Finally, spoon in the crème fraiche and stir until it is well mixed in, then stir in a handful of finely chopped fresh parsley and serve.
• 5
  Garnish with a dollop of crème fraiche and a sprinkling of parsley.