Halloween is coming on Monday October 31st, though some people are apparently going to make a whole Halloweekend of it including the previous Saturday and Sunday. To mark the festival of ghouls, goblins and witches, what better than a healthy vegetarian pumpkin soup to warm your bones. This recipe from gift specialist Victoria Eggs is great with home-baked bread slathered in salty butter.
See also: Christmas Dinner in a Box from Chefs for Foodies
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
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Remove from the heat and blend the soup until smooth (you may use 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 a thicker soup is often better. Return the soup to a gentle simmer, then season well.
- Ladle into bowls, and serve topped with a swirl of the soya cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds, and home-baked bread on the side.
See also: The Cake & Bake Show is Back in London
