Roasted squash and miso soup with pearl barley and cavolo nero

Ingredients

• vegetable stock1000 ml
• pearl barley60 g
• white miso8 g
• cavolo nero — stems removed, leaves cut into 2 cm pieces100 g
• butternut squash — halved lengthways and deseeded900 g
• olive oil60 ml
• Turkish red pepper paste8 g
• smoked paprika1 g
• walnuts — roughly chopped40 g
• soy sauce3 ml
• lemon — cut into wedges, to serve1 ea

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Add the stock to a medium pan on a high heat and bring to the boil. Add the pearl barley, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook, covered, for 40 minutes until tender. Pour a ladle of the stock into a small bowl, whisk through the miso, and add it back to the pan along with the cavolo nero and cook for another 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, drizzle ½ a tablespoon of oil over the cut sides of the squash, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of salt and place, cut side down, on a baking tray and roast for 30-35 minutes. The squash should be tender and soft enough to easily push a knife through, but still firm enough to hold its shape.
4. Add the remaining 3 ½ tablespoons of oil to a small frying pan on a medium heat. Once hot, add the pepper paste, paprika and chilli flakes, if using, and cook for 2 mins. Then add the walnuts and cook for 6-8 minutes more, until the walnuts are toasted and the spices are fragrant. Stir through the soy sauce and ⅛ teaspoon of salt.
5. Scoop the flesh of the squash out with a spoon into large chunks and divide it between four bowls. Spoon over the broth, followed by a drizzle of the walnut oil and serve, with a squeeze of lemon.