Could October’s recipe of the month be anything but a pumpkin soup? A perfect combo of sweet and savoury, and the supermarkets are full of them at the moment.
And not to mention it was bread week on The Great British Bake Off this week, so if you’ve been inspired by the bakers in the tent and have been perfecting your very own loaves then this is a perfect excuse to scoff it all down slathered in salted butter.
Ingredients
1 medium pumpkin or large squash (about 1½kg)
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 tsp olive oil
½ tsp ground allspice
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped ginger
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1-1.2 litres vegan stock
1 tbsp vegan white miso
3 tbsp soya cream or coconut yoghourt
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Step 1: Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Peel, de-seed and chop the pumpkin into 3cm chunks (you can save the seeds for sprinkling on top later on!).
Step 2: Tip the pumpkin onto a baking tray, drizzle over half the oil, scatter with the allspice and toss well. Season and roast this for about 30 mins until golden and tender. You should be able to insert a fork with little resistance, but you don’t want it burning or going too squishy.
Step 3: After de-seeding the pumpkin, wash your seeds very well, and remove any stringy bits of pumpkin flesh. Dry the seeds well on kitchen paper, then toss with 2 tsp olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt, put on a baking sheet and toast in the oven under the pumpkin or squash pieces for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, and fry the onion for 5 mins until tender but not golden. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for another minute, then tip in 1 litre stock and the miso. Put the roasted pumpkin in the pan, then bring to a simmer.
Step 5: Remove from the heat and blend the soup until smooth (I’d recommend an immersion blender, but a counter top one works just as well - it’s just a bit messier!). If you prefer a thinner soup, then add the remaining stock, but personally I like mine a little thicker. Return the soup to a gentle simmer, then season well.
Step 6: Ladle into bowls, and serve topped with a swirl of the soya cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds. And a nice big chunk of home made bread, of course.
