Creamy Pumpkin Soup - Recipe!

Autumn is the perfect season for enjoying comforting, warm soups and what better way to embrace the flavours of Autumn than with a simple and delicious pumpkin soup? I have never made a pumpkin soup before but have wanted to for years. 

This creamy pumpkin soup recipe is a perfect dish for those crisp, chilly evenings. It's easy to make and packed with the rich earthy flavours of roasted pumpkin making it the ultimate comfort food. 

Ingredients:

1 medium sized pumpkin.

1 large onion - chopped.

2 cloves garlic - minced.

2 tablespoons of olive oil.

4 cups of vegetable stock.

1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg.

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.

1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger.

Salt and black pepper to taste.

1 cup of double cream. (optional, for extra creaminess)

Pumpkin seeds and fresh parsley to garnish

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 190°C.

Carefully cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and stringy pulp. You can save the seeds for roasting as a garnish later.

Place the pumpkin halves on a baking tray, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast the pumpkin in the preheated oven for about 45-50 minutes or until the flesh is tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly.

In a large pot heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat, add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the pot. Sauté them until the onion becomes translucent.

Once the roasted pumpkin has cooled enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and add it to the pot with the onions and garlic.

Pour in the vegetable stock and add the ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger.

Use a hand blender to carefully blend the ingredients until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, you can transfer the mixture to a blender in batches, blend, and then return it to the pot.

Place the pot back on the stove over low heat and let the soup simmer for about 10 or15 minutes to combine the flavours.

If you want an extra creamy pumpkin soup, stir in the double cream at this stage. Allow it to heat through for a few more minutes, but do not boil.

Ladle the creamy pumpkin soup into bowls and garnish each serving with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds and a sprig of fresh parsley.

Is it something you would fancy making?