Pumpkin Soup on a cold clear day

Just back from a long walk up the hills. The smell of Hawthorne and nettle is amazing up there. And having a nose at the big country mansions is fun too. But as it starts to get dark it gets a little creepy and when I start to hear the small animals in the ditches beside the road I tend to walk a bit faster.

The house feels lovely and warm by comparison. And all I want for dinner is a nice big bowl of warm creamy soup and some fresh browm bread covered in soy butter.  Because I’m not eating dairy, I decided to make mine with pumpkin for nutty sweetness and soya milk for thickness.

Pumpkin Soup

• 1/2 small pumpkin of onion squash
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
  
• 3 small waxy potatoes or 1 large floury potato
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 pint vegetable stock
• 1/2 pint soya milk
• 1/2 pint hot water
  
• dried rosemary
• olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Cut the pumpkin half into four or five strips with about a two-inch thickness. Place onto a sheet of tin foil or baking parchment and season with salt pepper and a pinch of rosemary. Put a clove of garlic next to each slice and drizzle olive oil over the top. Wrap the tin foil or baking parchment up tightly to keep in the steam.

Roast the parcel in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile saute the onion and carrot in a little olve oil and add the potato after two or three mintes. Add half the vegtable stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes and top up with stock if it starts to look a little dry. Don’t forget to take the pumpkin out to cool a little.

Once the pumpkin has cooled a little open the parcels, and add all the contents and juices to the pot. If you have left the skin on, as I did, it comes away very easily with a spoon of fork.

Once all the veggies are in, take the pot off the heat and top up with the hot water and soya milk. Then, if you like your soup creamy, whizz it up with a handheld mixer. Tasty! Serves four small bowls for lunch or two big monters bowls for a hungry post walk din-dins.