Roasted butternut & tomato soup

Type: Main meal — lighter · Typical slot: Lunch or dinner · Time: 50 min (10 active, 40 hands-off) · Lunch-friendly: yes (reheats perfectly) · Batch: yes (2–4 portions, keeps 4 days)

High-volume, carb-forward, low-protein — a naturally lighter option. Good for a rest-day or light-training-day meal. Pair with cottage cheese or extra eggs on higher-training days if you need more protein.

Ingredients (2 generous servings)

• 1 butternut squash (~1kg whole, ~700g flesh after peeling and deseeding)
• 500g tomatoes (vine, roma, or a mix), halved
• 1 large onion (~200g), quartered
• 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 3 tbsp olive oil (40g)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp chili flakes (optional)
• 600–800ml vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp lemon juice or sherry vinegar (don’t skip — acid finish brightens it)
• Salt, black pepper

To finish (whatever you have):

• Good olive oil drizzle
• A swirl of cream, Greek yogurt, or coconut milk
• Toasted pumpkin seeds or crushed nuts
• Fresh herbs (parsley, basil, or cilantro)
• Crusty bread on the side

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220°C — high heat is what gives you the caramelization.
2. Prep the squash. Peel, deseed, cube into ~3cm chunks. (Microwave whole squash 2 min first — softens the skin, much easier to peel.)
3. Roast. Toss squash, tomatoes (cut-side up), onion quarters, unpeeled garlic on a large sheet pan with olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, chili flakes, salt, pepper. Spread in a single layer. Roast 35–40 min until squash is tender and edges caramelized, tomatoes collapsed and slightly charred.
4. Blend. Squeeze garlic out of skins. Transfer everything to a pot (or blender) with stock and tomato paste. Start with 600ml stock — add more after blending if too thick. Blend until silky (immersion blender works; standard blender gives smoother texture).
5. Simmer 5 min to meld flavors. Taste and adjust: more salt, pepper, lemon juice. Start with 1 tbsp acid and add more if needed.

Macros (per person, per serving — soup only, no toppings or bread)

Portion split (what to weigh per person)

Macros (per person, with toppings + bread)

Notes

• Reheat: microwave covered 2 min, stir, 1 more min. If it’s thickened in the fridge, splash in 2 tbsp water or stock before reheating.
• Make it higher-protein: blend in 150g silken tofu or stir in 3 tbsp Greek yogurt before serving (adds ~10g protein per portion). For a lunch after a hard session, serve with 2 hard-boiled eggs on the side (+14g protein).
• Storage: 4 days in the fridge, freezes well up to 3 months.