October Recipe – Spiced Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1 onion, finely chopped
600 – 800g  pumpkin flesh, roughly chopped
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
1 tsp each ground cumin and coriander
800 ml vegetable stock
200 ml coconut milk
1 tbsp. toasted pumpkin seeds

Method

1. Put the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and half the olive oil into a large pan. Cook over a low–medium heat for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender but not coloured.
2. Add the squash and potato, mix to combine and cook for a further 2–3 minutes.
3. Pour over stock and coconut milk, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 15min, until the vegetables are tender.
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the pumpkin seeds and fry quickly until the seeds start to pop. Remove from the pan and allow to cool. (you could add some chilli powder or Cajun spices on the pumpkin seeds before cooking.)
5. Once the vegetables have all cooked, remove the pan from heat and blend until smooth – do this in batches, if necessary. Check the seasoning and ladle into warmed soup bowls.
6. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and freshly ground black pepper and a squirl of cream if available. Serve with crusty bread.