Wednesday 15 April 2009

A soup for (almost) all seasons

Aaaah pumpkin soup how I love thee. Easy to make, and even easier to eat!

Over Easter I whipped up a tasty batch and I though I would share the recipe. Actually it's less a recipe and more a guide, as I don't follow any hard and fast rules when it comes to pumpkin soup.

Ingredients:
  • butternut pumpkin (but any kind would do)
  • sweet potato (I added this as there was only half a pumpkin available)
  • stock
  • red lentils (these add a lovely richness / thickness to the soup)
  • harissa (optional)
  • yoghurt (optional)
  • cayenne pepper (optional)
Chop the pumpkin / sweet potato into chunks, and pop in a saucepan you've heated with a bit of oil and some garlic (I used 2 cloves, chopped). Stir for a minute or two.

Add in your lentils (I used about a cup) and about a litre of the stock of your choice (home made best but I cheated and used marigold brand vege stock) - enough so the pumpkin is well covered. You may need to add more stock as you go along and the lentils start soaking it up. Put in a squirt of harissa if you fancy (I normally do as I like it spicy).

Bring to the boil and then simmer until the pumpkin/sweet potato bits are tender.

Remove from the heat and blitz with a stick blender - or let cool and blitz in a regular blender.You may need to add more liquid to get the consistency you like - or, if you think the mix is too watery then remove some liquid before you blitz - you can always add it in later :)

Reheat gently, and then serve with a dollop of yoghurt and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper.

This soup also freezes really well for school/work/quick home lunches.

Of course, this is just a guide - you can get creative with herbs, spices, and home made stock to give this soup your own signature!

Enjoy.

2 comments:

Kelly said...

Ohhh delish! Thank you for sharing that one. I'll report on it as soon as we make our first batch from the impending Pumpkin Harvest of Doom!

Margo said...

sigh .. I wish I had a doom worthy pumpkin harvest. I'll feel grateful to have managed 5 this year!!!

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