Lazy Pumpkin Soup

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In my kitchen: lazy pumpkin soup

In my kitchen: lazy pumpkin soup

When I was a busy lawyer I relied heavily on takeaway and home delivered food. I was under the illusion that home cooking was time-consuming, and didn't taste as nice as restaurant meals. Now I know better! The recipes I share are all designed to get busy, overworked, exhausted people making healthy, delicious home-cooked meals. 

This is my favourite recipe for when I feel like pumpkin soup, but I'm too exhausted (or lazy) to chop and peel!
Don't be alarmed at the large amounts of onion and garlic. They will give a mellow sweet flavour to the soup.

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut pumpkin
  • 2 onions
  • 1 bulb garlic (I've used 3 cloves of elephant garlic in these pics!)
  • 1L stock or water
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Chop pumpkin in half (or bonus points if you quarter it!). No need to peel it!

Chop onions in half. No need to peel them either!

Chop top off garlic bulb

Place all ingredients on baking tray.

Bake in a pre-heated oven (180 degrees Celsius) for 35 minutes or until pumpkin is cooked. You can test this by inserting a knife into the pumpkin. Remove from oven when pumpkin is soft.

Leave to cool for 10 minutes.

If you are using a stick blender:

Scoop pumpkin flesh into a pot using a large spoon.

Squeeze the onion and garlic out of their skins and into the pot. They will come out of their skins easily, and this is satisfyingly cathartic - and in my view very therapeutic at the end of a stressful day!

Add stock or water.

Blend until you have achieved your desired consistency - I personally love a chunky rustic soup on a cold evening!

Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve!

If you are using a Vitamix or other high speed blender.

Place all ingredients in blender, as above.

Blend until you have achieved your desired consistency.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve!

Optional: 

You can boost the antioxidant value of this soup by adding 1/2 teaspoon turmeric. Turmeric has a mild flavour so you won't even notice it.

For an extra kick, add 1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes or one finely, chopped, de-seeded chilli.