Curried Pumpkin Soup

 

If you’re feeling autumnal this recipe is for you! This is perfect if you’ve got an abundance of spare pumpkins from pumpkin picking, or if you just fancy a cozy autumnal treat. The flavours in this are super warming and you can even use the pumpkin seeds as a topping!

This recipe is vegan, soya free and gluten free so it’s perfect for everyone! This recipe makes 3-4 servings (depending on the size of your pumpkin) and took around 2 hours to make including prep, cooking and cooling time.

Your ingredients!

Ingredients

• 1 Small pumpkin
• 1 red onion
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 1 TBSP of oil
• 1 TSP coriander seeds
• 1 TSP mustard seeds
• 2 TSP garam masala
• 1 TSP turmeric
• 1 TSP ground white pepper
• 1 TSP chopped red chilli (optional, omit if you don’t like spice!)
• 1 TSP ginger paste
• 500ml vegetable stock
• 500ml water

I served this with mixed seeds and a fancy curry bread from Waitrose

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius
2. In a pestle and mortar, crush the coriander and mustard seeds into a powder
3. Prepare the pumpkin by scooping out the insides and cutting it into wedges. Keep the seeds for later! Don’t worry about peeling it - it will be easier to do this once it’s cooked
4. Cut the top off the garlic bulb and place on some tin foil. Cover with 1 TSP of the oil and sprinkle some salt over it. Wrap it in the foil and place on the baking tray.
5. Peel and chop the onion into quarters, and place this on the baking tray along with the pumpkin wedges (ideally keeping them skin side down)
6. Drizzle the rest of the oil and sprinkle the spices over the onion and pumpkin. Place in the oven and roast for 50-60 minutes until the pumpkin is soft if you press a fork into it
7. Place the roasted veg onto a plate to cool - this is really important as blending them while hot could cause the blender to explode! You should be able to peel the pumpkin with a spoon; if it’s too tough, try cutting it off with a sharp knife.
8. Once cooled, add the pumpkin, onion, squeezed garlic, the TSP of chilli and ginger paste to a blender, along with 200ml water. Blend until smooth.
9. Pour the blender contents into a large saucepan along with the rest of the water and vegetable stock. Simmer until combined and hot.
10. If you saved the pumpkin seeds, spread them out on a baking tray, sprinkle these with a little salt and drizzle some olive oil over. Bake for around 10 minutes until browned - they’re best served warm!
11. Serve in your favourite bowl with your favourite bread. Or, if you fancy a change, why not try using it as a base for a noodle soup?

Pumpkin noodle soup!

Accessibility adjustments

• If you struggle with dexterity, you can buy pre chopped pumpkin (or butternut squash) and onions to make this easier - you won’t need to roast it for as long though!
• You could also try adding garlic paste straight to the blender instead of roasting a garlic
• Pre chopped frozen chilli can be good if you have sensory issues or struggle to chop things finely