Spiced Pumpkin Soup with a Pumpkin Seed Crunch (v)
October is the month we associate with pumpkins and squashes. It’s the month when the clocks go back, the evenings become darker and chillier and things can go bump in the night. We seek the comfort of the fire and cosying up with a warm bowl of soup, that offers nourishment and soothing familiarity.
There’s nothing better than bowl of pumpkin soup. It captures the month of October and is a great way to celebrate Halloween. This simple, easy to make recipe looks and tastes autumnal, with its orange glow and hint of spice. The additional ingredients add and compliment the pumpkin, to create a warming gentle heat. The crunchy seeded topping adds extra texture to this smooth and creamy soup.You can double the recipe and freeze the soup for another day. If you find yourself with a leftover Parmesan cheese rind, drop it into the soup when warming it through it adds a delightful umami creamy taste. Parmesan rinds are also freezable!
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Serves 4-6 as a main dish
Ingredients
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
A thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, minced
1 medium leek washed and sliced
The juice of half a fresh lime, plus zest for garnish
A bunch of fresh coriander stalks chopped, leaves for garnish
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 fresh red chilli, sliced seeds removed
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 litre of bouillon vegetable stock
A handful of blanched whole almonds
1 medium pumpkin peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks (reserve seeds)
1 tsp caster sugar
Garnish
A handful of fresh coriander leaves
Zest of a lime
1 tbsp of dukka spices
Two slices of sourdough bread
25g parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese
Drizzle olive oil
Toasted pumpkin seeds
Salt & pepper seasoning
Set the oven to 180C fan or gas mark 4.
Peel and deseed the pumpkin, retaining the seeds. Chop the pumpkin into chunks and place in a reusable food bag, add a tbsp of olive oil, the cumin, cinnamon and salt & pepper seasoning, shake the bag to coat the pumpkin pieces and tip on to a roasting tray. Roast on the top shelf of a hot oven at 180C for 30 mins or until the pieces are tender.
Dry fry the almonds until they are a toasty colour. Leave to cool.
Whilst the pumpkin is cooking, wash and dry the pumpkin seeds on a paper towel. In a bowl toss the pumpkin seeds, dukka spice, drizzle of olive oil and salt pepper. Cut the slices of sourdough into edible chunks mix with with a drizzle of oil, scatter over the cheese and pop on the same baking tray with the seeds and bake for 5/8 minutes. Remove and leave to cool.
On the hob in a large pan, sauté the onions and leek until softened. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli and fresh coriander stalks and toasted almonds. Cook for a further five minutes. Add the roasted pumpkin to the pan, along with the lime juice, vegetable stock and tomato purée, caster sugar. Bring to the boil, then simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes.
Turn off the heat and once the soup has cooled slightly, blitz using a hand blender or in a food processor. Serve the soup with a scattering of sourdough croutons, pumpkin & dukka seed crunch, coriander leaves, lime zest, grated cheese and a swirl of olive oil. Serve in warmed bowls.
Enjoy!