Spiced Pumpkin Soup

I haven’t posted in a while, My Bad, as young people say. It’s cold and wet outside and supermarkets are rolling with cheap pumpkins, getting ready for Halloween. So – pumpkin soup. It’s the boy’s favourite.

900g pumpkin (doesn’t have to be exact)

Knob of butter

1 large red onion

500 ml vegetable or chicken stock

1cm ginger root

1 stem of lemongrass

1tsp sugar

Half tsp dried chilli flakes

Salt & pepper

Pumpkin is a nightmare to peel so quarter it and roast it first. (Remove the seeds and stringy bits) That way you can just scoop out the soft flesh.

Soften the onion in the butter. Grate the ginger and finely slice the lemongrass and sauté it altogether. The boy is not a chilli fan so I add it at this stage so it has a chance to mellow a little.

Add the stock and pumpkin. It doesn’t need long as the pumpkin is already cooked. Maybe 20 minutes. Season and add the sugar. I’m using demerara but I’m letting the boy adjust the salt, pepper & sugar. He is heavy on the pepper. I approve.

Blend with a stick blender. Blend it well as lemongrass and ginger are very fibrous.

Pumpkin soup is often so thick that it can be a pumpkin puree. It’s not the way we like it so thin it down with more stock until it has the consistency you like. 

The boy likes a swirl of sour cream swirled through his (or creme fraiche if he's feeling posh). His suggestions as accompaniments – cheese on toast using baguette slices – a plain pizza cut into circles with a cookie cutter – garlic bread. We went with the cheese on toast.