Carving pumpkins in readiness for Halloween? Don’t let all that fabulous pumpkin flesh go to waste!
This mildly spicy, silky soup is guaranteed to keep the spooky season hunger ghouls at bay. Try to keep your pumpkin chunks neat as you carve, though; aim for evenly-sized chunks.
Ingredients (serves 4)
The deseeded flesh from 1 large pumpkin (usually 1.5-2k)
1 tbsp garam masala
2 tsp dried cumin
1 tsp dried red chilli flakes
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
3cm nub of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed/grated
900ml vegetable or chicken stock
100ml double cream or crème fraiche
To serve: double cream or crème fraiche
Method
Preheat the oven to 190c/gas mark 5. Tumble the chopped pumpkin flesh into a large bowl, sprinkle with the garam masala, cumin and chilli flakes, season well and drizzle with 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Toss to cover the pumpkin in the spiced oil, transfer to a baking tray and roast for around 40-45 minutes (turning halfway through) or until the pumpkin flesh is very soft when pierced with a fork.
Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion for 10 minutes or until just turning translucent. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for a few more minutes until fragrant. Add the stock and roasted pumpkin flesh to the pan, stir well and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Remove the soup from the heat, season to taste and blitz with a hand blender (or in a food processor) until smooth and silky. Return to the pan over a low heat, add the cream, season to taste and bring back to a gentle simmer before serving in warmed bowls topped with an extra drizzle of cream and a pinch of chilli flakes to taste.
Explore more delicious recipes from Melissa Blease online here