Autumn is a time for soups such as this one - thick, silky and bursting with flavour.

It makes an elegant starter for a sit-down meal but is equally good poured from a flask while you are out stretching your legs and need to recharge your batteries.

Technically a fruit, butternut squash has dense orange flesh and a sweet nutty flavour - a good rule of thumb when buying them is to select those that feel heaviest.

Butternut squash soup

Serves 4

1kg butternut squash

1 large onion

150g butter

1tsp curry powder

1200ml chicken or vegetable stock

A good pinch of salt

2tbsp creme fraiche

A small bunch of freshly chopped coriander

Peel the butternut squash then cut it in half lengthways and scrape the seeds out. Use a large knife to slice the squash as thinly as possible, then peel the onion, cut it in half and slice it as thinly as possible.

Select a pan large enough to accommodate all the ingredients and place it over a moderate heat, adding the butter. When the butter has melted, add the onion and squash to the pan and saute the vegetables gently for 10-15 minutes, stirring them from time to time and being careful not to colour them.

Next add the curry powder and stir into the vegetables. Pour the stock into the pan and bring it to a simmer. Add a good pinch of salt to the pan and leave to simmer for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and tender.

Remove the pan from the heat, transfer the soup to a liquidiser and blend for 5 minutes until smooth. If you find the soup too thick then add a little hot water.

Once the soup is silky smooth, whisk in the creme fraiche and check the seasoning. Sprinkle a little chopped coriander into each bowl and serve.