Herby Roast Pumpkin Soup

Serves 4-6

Since my house has been decorated from top to toe for Halloween since the 1st October and we are in full-on pumpkin obsessed mode, how could I possibly let another day go by without a recipe for the most perfect warming autumnal soup? Of course, it can be made with butternut squash too, but in keeping with all things spooky, I figured it just wouldn’t be the same!  Plus, my kids got super excited at the prospect of eating their soup straight out of a pumpkin!

There’s nothing fancy shmancy about this recipe and there are no weird and wonderful ingredients.  It is easy to make, with ingredients you most likely already own, but it is just SO DARN TASTY.  I love roasting the pumpkin and garlic first before adding them to the soup, because it adds a real richness to the flavour.  

Whilst most of us just think of pumpkins as little more than great Halloween decorations, they are actually a very nutrient-dense food. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, yet are low in calories and carbohydrates.  They are one of the best sources of beta-carotene, which is a powerful antioxidant. It is this that gives the pumpkin its vibrant orange colour. Beta-carotene gets converted into vitamin A in the body, which acts as a wonderful immune booster and helps fight off infections.

Top Tip: Did you know that canned pumpkin puree can be used as a replacement for butter or oil in baking recipes?  So stay tuned for the most deliciously crispy Pumpkin Waffle recipe on its way to you in the next few days!

One serving provides 126 calories, 15% of my daily fibre requirements and a huge 62% of my Vitamin A; which is great news to keep all of those sniffles and sneezes at bay.

INGREDIENTS 

· 750g Pumpkin
· 1 Whole Garlic Bulb
· 1½ tbsp Olive Oil
· 1 Carrot
· 2 Celery Stalks
· 1 Leek
· 1 Red Onion
· 1 tbsp Dried Sage
· A few sprigs of fresh Rosemary and Thyme
· 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
· 1½ L Vegetable Stock 
· 1 tbsp Light Tahini – to drizzle at the end
· Optional - 1 tsp Dried Chilli Flakes if you like a little spicy kick

METHOD 

· Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.
· Peel and dice the pumpkin.
· Peel the garlic cloves.
· Place the pumpkin and garlic cloves in a roasting tray, along with the rosemary and thyme sprigs. 
· Drizzle with a little olive oil, season with salt & pepper and sprinkle with 1 tsp smoked paprika. Toss well to combine.
· Roast for 30 minutes or until starting to brown.
· Peel the carrots.
· Dice the carrots, onions, leeks and celery.
· Heat ½ tbsp oil in a large saucepan and sweat the onions and leeks until soft.
· Add the carrots and celery and continue to sweat for another 5 minutes.
· Add 1 litre of vegetable stock.
· Add the roasted pumpkin and garlic (discard the rosemary and thyme sprigs).
· Add the sage, 1 tsp of smoked paprika and chilli flakes if using.
· Simmer on a low-medium heat for 25 minutes.
· Season with salt and pepper to taste.
· Blitz in a high speed blender.
· Depending on how thick or thin you like your soup, you might want to add another 500ml of vegetable stock.
· To serve, drizzle with some light tahini and sprinkle with some crunchy roasted chickpeas and pumpkin seeds — recipe on my blog in “Snacks”.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION 

Calories — 126
Protein — 3g
Fibre — 4g (15%)
Fat — 7g
Carbohydrates — 14g
Vitamin A — 62%
Vitamin C — 8%