It’s pumpkin season and I personally can’t get enough of its flavour-packed deliciousness! Today I’m sharing a bit of a twist on the classic pumpkin soup that I’ve made about 4 times this month already…
INGREDIENTS
Squash:
Pumpkin (this can be substituted for Butternut Squash if you can’t get your hands on a pumpkin)
Spices:
Cayenne pepper
Cumin
Chilli flakes
Paprika
Nutmeg
Cumin seeds
Aromatics:
Shallot
Garlic
Soup essentials:
Vegetable stock
Double cream (or a vegan alternative if you’re plant-based)
A side – I went simple this time and served mine with fresh buttered sourdough
TIPS
This is a really simple recipe, but I do still have a few tips. Firstly, prep your pumpkin to make life easier. Cut it in half, remove the seeds with a spoon (you can keep these and dry them out or roast them to add to granola or grain mixes) and make sure you pierce the inside and through the skin on the outside with a fork or knife. I’d do at least 5 jabs and make sure they’re spaced out; this will help your pumpkin roast evenly at a low temperature.
You can really customise the consistency of your soup; personally I want something that’s more fluid than a purée but still has a lot of substance (watery soup isn’t going to fill anyone up for lunch!) With my medium-sized pumpkin, I get two servings, which provides plenty of nutrition and flavour.
Curried Pumpkin Soup
Cosy soup with a curried twist
Ingredients
- 1 medium pumpkin
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 shallot (chopped)
- 1 tsp of chilli flakes
- 1 tsp of cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp of paprika
- 1 tsp of cumin
- 1/2 tsp of nutmeg
- 3 tbsp of double cream (reserve 1 tbsp for topping)
- 1 stock cube dissolved in 250ml of boiling water immediately prior to use
- 1/4 tsp of cumin seeds for topping (optional: pan-fry for a couple of minutes to release aromas)
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- A drizzle of olive oil
- A side: I used fresh sourdough (2 slices per serving of soup) with butter
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180C
- Prepare the pumpkin by cutting it in half, deseeding and piercing the inside and outer skin
- Add the pumpkin halves to a roasting dish, insides up and drizzle with olive oil
- Mix together your nutmeg, cumin, chilli flakes, paprika and cayenne pepper
- Sprinkle 2/3s of the spice mix over the inside of the pumpkin and season with salt and pepper
- Cut the ends off your garlic, place the cloves on a small piece of foil, drizzle with some olive oil, season with salt and pepper, wrap the cloves in the foil and add this to your roasting dish
- Leave the dish to roast for 20-30 minutes, checking on them halfway through (if your spices look overly-browned, reduce the heat slightly) – once roasted through, remove from the oven and set aside for around 10 minutes to cool
- Meanwhile, pan fry the shallot (in a wide-based lidded pan) with a little olive oil over a medium heat, add the rest of your spice mix, stir and sautée for 5 minutes until fragrant
- Use a spoon to scoop out the pumpkin flesh and add it to your food processor (it should separate easily from the skin if properly cooked)
- Add the shallot and pop the roasted garlic out of its skin and also add to the food processor
- Blend to a purée consistency and add this mixture back to the pan over a medium heat
- Prepare the vegetable stock and add it bit by bit to the pan, stirring to combine
- Add 2/3s of the double cream and mix in – simmer with the lid on for another 5 minutes
- Serve with your side of choice, with the remaining double cream drizzled over and the cumin seeds sprinkled over
I hope you enjoy this pumpkin spiced soup if you get to try it!
And you can see the recipe in action on my Instagram page:
But First, Food 
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