A lovely warming soup, great for sharing on Halloween or Bonfire Night. If you can get hold of small squash or mini pumpkins try slicing the top off, scooping out the seeds and using them as a bowl to serve the soup in, looks amazing. You could do the same with a large pumpkin and serve the soup in that instead of a large bowl or soup tureen
Ingredients: for 4-6 people
1 x small to medium pumpkin (1.2kg)
1 x tbsp olive oil
1 x red onion
2 x carrots
25g butter
850 ml vegetable stock
200ml milk
Freshy grated nutmeg
A little salt and freshly ground pepper
How to make Pumpkin Soup … WASH YOUR HANDS
- Preheat the oven onto 180C/Gas Mark 4 (Aga roasting oven – shelf on oven floor).
- Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds using adessert spoon. Cut each half into 4 again and brush with half the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and put flesh side down into the roasting tin. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Finely chop the onion. Peel the carrots and chop them. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and carrots, cook over a gentle heat until soft and the onion is translucent, this should take around 20 minutes.
- Remove the pumpkin from the oven, set aside to cool.
- Add the stock and milk to the vegetables and gently bring to a simmer
- Using the round bladed knife remove the pumpkin flesh from the skin and cut into chunks. Add to the saucepan, bring back to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes
- Transfer to a liquidiser and puree until smooth. Taste and if it needs it add a little more salt / pepper. Spoon into warmed soup bowls and serve with warm soda bread.