Butternut squash soup with ricotta dumplings
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Butternut squash soup with ricotta dumplings
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Sarah Randell
Our former Food Director, and previously food editor to Delia Smith, Sarah has written more than 1000 recipes for the magazine. She is also author of Family Baking and Marmalade; A Bittersweet Cookbook among others.
Sarah Randell
Our former Food Director, and previously food editor to Delia Smith, Sarah has written more than 1000 recipes for the magazine. She is also author of Family Baking and Marmalade; A Bittersweet Cookbook among others.
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra
- 4 shallots, chopped
- 2 sticks of celery, chopped
- 25g butter, plus extra
- 750ml vegetable stock
- a few whole sage leaves
For the ricotta dumplings:
- 250g ricotta
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 tbsp grated pecorino (or vegetarian alternative)
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tbsp finely chopped sage
Step by step
Make to the end of step 2 up to 2 days ahead. It also freezes well.
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Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Peel and deseed the squash; cut three-quarters into chunks and season. Roast for 35-40 minutes in a tin with half the oil. Dice the remaining squash.
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Soften the shallots and celery in the butter and remaining oil. Purée the roast squash in a blender with half the stock; add to the shallots and celery with all the stock and diced squash; simmer for 15 minutes.
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Combine the dumpling ingredients. In a frying pan, fry spoonfuls of the mixture in butter and oil over a low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side. Fry the whole sage leaves in butter.
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Serve the soup topped with the dumplings and frizzled sage leaves.
