Roasting the pumpkin, onion and garlic for this soup, adds a beautiful sweetness and depth of flavour that will keep you coming back for more.
What you need
Heat oven to 170 degrees celsius.
1 litre vegetable or chicken stock (click the link for my homemade recipe – it really does make a difference.)
1kg pumpkin
1 large onion
2 whole garlic cloves
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
½ tsp grated nutmeg
Sour cream (optional)
What to do
Remove the seeds from the pumpkin and place right side up on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Cut the onion in half, leaving the peel on and add it to the tray. Add the garlic, whole and unpeeled (the peel will protect the garlic from burning).
Sprinkle the cumin seeds, salt and pepper over the top, then drizzle the olive oil and mix well.
Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until pumpkin and onions have softened.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Put the stock on a medium heat and bring to the boil.
Spoon out the flesh from the pumpkin and add to the stock. Discard the skin from the onion and add the flesh to the pot. Squeeze the garlic cloves to extract the flesh (discard the skin) and add to the pot. Tip any oil left in the tray into the pot.
Simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Use a stick blender (or a kitchen blender) to blend the soup to a smooth puree.
Add the grated nutmeg and stir through.
Serve in a bowl with a dollop of sour cream and croutons or crusty bread.
You can divide the soup into small suitable containers and freeze. Allow to cool completely before freezing.
Serves 4
Meatballs and Muffins 