Soup Season: Pumpkin Soup

Seeing as it’s October and I’m a sucker for anything festive, I decided I wanted/absolutely needed to make something with that stereotypical Halloween squash that we all love, because realistically, what’s more Halloween-y than a pumpkin? (Except maybe using it as an excuse for fancy dress. I bloody love fancy dress). Being the basic white girl that I am, pumpkin spice is what I live for. But instead of fulfilling my oh-so-true stereotype, I thought I’d branch out and opt to make a pumpkin soup instead, and it was such a winner.

So fair dos herbs and spices aren’t often in your average uni kitchen, but with most supermarkets offering them for less than a pound they’re a brill ‘investment’ thanks to their versatility and the fact that you only use a small amount each time. People talk about turmeric having anti-inflammatory properties (an added bonus), and cumin can be you used in so many dishes, including the classic student favourite of chilli con carne. This recipe uses pumpkin, but if you can’t find it any or simply don’t fancy it, butternut squash works just as well, and can often be bought pre-chopped, which is a life saver if you’re a lazy sod (like me). Because after all, that Netflix series wont watch itself.

Ingredients

1 small pumpkin (1kg ish)
2 carrots
1 parsnip
2 cloves of garlic
1 stock cube (chicken or veg)
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp chilli flakes
Juice half a lime

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Prepare and chop the pumpkin into ½ inch cubes. Tip – it’s easier to chop the pumpkin first then simply chop out the seeds and pith. Peel and chop the carrots and parsnips. Spread out on a large baking tray or roasting dish, making sure they don’t overlap (so you may need two trays). Peel the garlic and squish it with a knife. Add to the tray and roast in a little coconut oil for 50 minutes, or until everything is nice and tender.
2. Once the veg is cooked, tip into a large saucepan (including now roasted garlic cloves) and sprinkle in the stock cube. Add a mug full of boiling water and blend to puree. Ideally this is done with a stick blender, but should work with any kind of smoothie maker or food processor. Be careful when opening if using a smoothie maker, as the pressure can cause it to spray out.
3. Add the spices and blend again, adding more boiling water to create your desired soup texture (I normally use around 750ml).
4. Squeeze in the lime and season with salt and pepper. Try a little bit and add anymore spices to taste.
Serve it up and enjoy. Leave it to cool completely before putting in Tupperware/freezer bags and shoving in the fridge or freezer.