Caitríona Redmond: My roasted butternut & sweet potato soup is the perfect big-dinner starter

Pic: iStock

A full Christmas dinner with all the trimmings is a huge undertaking for any household. Just like Santa, I have a list to work through and it helps me stay on track.

This weekend I will make sure I have plenty of space in my fridge and freezer for the food I will be preparing and cooking. 

This project starts about a week before the 25th of December when I shop from my kitchen stores and not the supermarket. 

This has two purposes; firstly, I slowly start to work my way through what I’ve got, and this results in emptier shelves and drawers. 

Secondly, by using what I’ve got, I free up vital money from my weekly budget to spend on the extras and food items that I might want to buy in the days ahead.

I have a big crowd to feed on Christmas Day and if I’m not prepared, we could be eating some very lovely sandwiches but that’s it. 

I could not survive without my lists and calendar entries. There’s the shopping list and the present list on one whiteboard, plus the food prep list on another, with timings and days that items can be prepared in advance.

The bulk of the vegetables will be peeled and chopped on Christmas eve and then submerged in ice cold water or covered and placed into the fridge until I’m ready to cook. 

I prepare a beautiful gently spiced soup (recipe below) this weekend and freeze it in portions for defrosting on the day. If any guest doesn’t feel like soup I keep it in the freezer for another meal.

Some vegetables can be prepared well ahead of time and then frozen, depending on their water content. 

I find that mashed potato freezes extremely well, and I will be adding to my freezer stash for defrosting and reheating on Christmas Day. 

Carrots and Brussels sprouts do not freeze as effectively, and I will cook them fresh. We all love red cabbage and thank goodness I can prepare this favourite side a day or two in advance and store it in a glass jar in the fridge once cooled.

Herbed stuffing is so easy to prepare weeks ahead of a big event. I make my stuffing, fill a baking tray with the stuffing and cover the tray before popping it into the freezer. I’ll defrost the stuffing on Christmas Eve and finish it off in the oven once the Turkey is cooked.

While chopping and simmering in the kitchen, I’m playing a game of fridge Jenga to make sure that any raw meat remains on the bottom shelf, vegetables in the crisper drawer, and dairy at the top of the fridge. All of these steps will prevent food from going off ahead of time.

If it all comes to naught, sandwiches are still on my menu.

For the week ahead I hope that, like me, you get to take a break from the worries of budgeting and keeping on track. Happy Christmas.

HOME TRUTHS

Starters that feel gourmet on a budget

The main meal on Christmas Day will rarely vary from year-to-year but the starters are always a topic of debate. I like the concept of buying premade starters and picky bits because it requires less time to prepare but I abhor paying premium prices for food that I can make far better at home.

There are a few items that will make the start of your Christmas feast feel like a luxury event and the first of these is quality bread. Your bread makes a statement. Even if it’s hunks of a decent sourdough to dip into a saucer of olive oil with vinegar or slather in real Irish butter, I know that my family will vacuum it up in no time and be satisfied. Homemade brown bread is sublime toasted and smeared with a little

pâté and relish or topped with smoked mackerel or trout. Smoked salmon is pricey, but mackerel or trout is a fantastic budget alternative.

In a holiday season that is full of excess, maybe soup is the solution. Appearances have a lot to do with how gourmet your meal feels. Why not serve the soup in teacups with small spoons to encourage your guests to take their time and savour the starter? This will spare crucial cutlery for the main course to follow.

Roasted Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Soup

This recipe is dairy free and not as sweet as you would expect thanks to the addition of smoked paprika and a little bit of curry powder to brighten the flavour.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 60 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 15 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp curry powder

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp paprika

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tin coconut milk

Method

1. Place the squash, sweet potatoes, olive oil, and seasonings onto a lined baking tray. Mix until the vegetables are coated well and bake in an oven at 160°C for 45-50 minutes. The edges of the vegetables should char a little while the inside is soft and yielding. Remove the tray from the oven and allow the vegetables to cool a little.

2. Pour the coconut milk in a large saucepan and warm on a low temperature until the solids have melted and you have a thin white liquid. Add the roasted vegetables to the coconut milk and stir well. Turn off the heat and blend the contents of the saucepan using a stick blender until it reaches a smooth purée.

3. Once at room temperature you can freeze the soup at this point for reheating later. To eat immediately, turn the heat to medium low on the saucepan and bring the soup to piping hot before serving.