Xmas Recipe: Roasted Pumpkin Soup

This delicious Xmas soup recipe will place you into a state of contentment & happiness with the intoxicating smell of the toasted spices filling your kitchen, and that is a good place to start when making this soup.

serves 6 – 8

Ingredients:

1 kg pumpkin of choice, cut in half

2 Tbsp coconut oil/ghee

2 large stalks of celery/fennel, finely chopped

2 Tblsp finely chopped ginger

2 stalks of lemongrass, folded over and tied with string

2 fresh bay leaves

1 dried chilli, halved

1 Tblsp homemade curry powder (recipe below) or bought curry powder

6 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1 cup full-fat coconut milk

6 cups of water

1 1/2 tsp salt, more to taste

1 tsp jaggery/brown sugar

1 tsp turmeric powder, or freshly grated

A handful of finely chopped fresh coriander stems and all

Recipe:

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.

Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon and peel and cut into cubes. Drizzle with melted ghee/oil, toss and roast until soft - approximately 35 minutes to an hour. When cooked, set aside. Warm the ghee/oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery/fennel and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the ginger, the bundle of lemongrass stalks, bay leaves and chilli; cook for a minute. Stir in the curry powder; add the carrots, coconut milk and water. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until the carrots are tender about 20 minutes. Add the roasted pumpkin and simmer for five minutes with the lid off. Add the salt, jaggery and turmeric, turn off the heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Remove the lemongrass bundle, bay leaf and chilli.

Using a hand blender, blend the soup until smooth and creamy. Taste and add more salt or jaggery. When serving, garnish with a drizzle of ghee and coconut milk, the finely chopped coriander and slices of mild chilli pieces.

Uncover other delicious Xmas recipes, like this special vegetable hot pot. Enjoy the warmth.