Spiced Pumpkin Soup

Don't bin the innards from your pumpkin this year - use it to make this deliciously spicy pumpkin soup! This is a recipe that I just threw together after carving the pumpkin for Halloween and I have had very good feedback so far...although this is not for the feeble - it packs a mighty punch! You can discard the chili seeds if you don't want it as hot.

Ingredients:

1 Large Brown Onion (Roughly Chopped)

1 Medium-sized Pumpkin (Flesh scooped out and roughly chopped, seeds removed)

1 Large Stick of Celery (Diced)

1/4 tsp Turmeric

1/2 tsp Paprika

1/2 tsp Ground Coriander

1/2 tsp Ground Cumin

1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 Birdseye Chili Pepper (Finely Chopped)

2 Bay Leaves

1 Litre Vegetable Stock

Juice of a Small Lemon

Salt & Pepper

Soured Cream to serve

Method:

1. Gently fry the onion for about 5 mins until just softened, then add all of the ground spices and fry for a further minute. Add the celery and pumpkin pieces and fry over for another 6 mins.

2. Pour over the Vegetable stock and add the bay leaves, chopped chili, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about twenty minutes, or until the pumpkin looks mushy. Take off the heat and leave to cool.

3. Remove the bay leaves. Blend the mixture so there are no lumpy bits and return to the hob to reheat. If the soup is too thin at this point, thicken using a tbsp of cornflour dissolved in cold water. 

4. Swirl some soured cream through the soup and serve with some nice crusty bread. If you haven't used your pumpkin for carving, you could serve the soup in the pumpkin carcass. Alternatively, you can make a hollow in some crusty baps and serve the soup in the bread!