Whatever the time of year - leftover pumpkin needn't go to waste. This glorious soup is just one way to put it to use.
The wonderful thing about any squash is that, once slivered and roasted, it becomes soft, sweet and rich. That means there aren’t many dishes that wouldn’t benefit from some, and they can be used in a variety of dishes from salads to stews, and more besides.
Try, for example, tossing goat’s cheese, rocket, toasted pine nuts and diced roasted pumpkin through al dente pasta with a lug of olive oil – you might not have thought the combination of pasta and squash would work but it’s a firm favourite of mine.
It’s also a great way of fleshing out a vegetarian chilli or stew – simply roast in chunks and stir through before serving.
Honestly though, there’s nothing quite like a proper pumpkin soup. This one is an absolute basic from Maddie in our food team, and you can take it wherever you want with more spices, more ingredients and lovely toppings. Speaking of which, don’t forget to make the most of your pumpkin by roasting the seeds – they make a great topping for this soup.
Roasted pumpkin soup recipe
• 1.5kg edible pumpkin • Olive oil • 1 teaspoon dried chilli • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds • 1 large onion • 3 cloves garlic • 1 carrot • 1 stick of celery • 1 litre hot vegetable stock
Preheat the oven to 170°C/340°F. Half the pumpkin and remove the seeds (you can keep these for roasting), then chop into wedges. Place the pumpkin on two large baking trays and drizzle over a little olive oil. In a pestle and mortar, grind the chilli and coriander seeds with a pinch of salt until finely ground. Sprinkle the spices over the pumpkin with some black pepper. Roast the pumpkin for 1 hour, or until soft and slightly caramalised at the edges.
Meanwhile, roughly chop the onion, garlic, carrot and celery. Heat a lug of olive oil over a medium heat in a large saucepan then add the vegetables and cook for 15 minutes, or until soft and sweet but not coloured.
When the squash is ready, add to the pan with the hot stock. Blend with a stick blender, adding a little more water if you like a thinner consistency.
Ladle into bowls and add you favourite toppings.