Photography: James Moffatt / Styling: Steve Pearce
This one-tray roasted pumpkin soup is the ultimate cool-weather comfort: rich, silky and full of roasted flavour, with almost no fuss. Pumpkin, onion and garlic are cooked together until golden and caramelised, then blended with stock for an easy, nourishing soup that tastes like it simmered all day. Choose from three flavour-packed toppings — Thai red curry coconut crunch, hot honey, pine nuts and rosemary with prosciutto croutons, or sour cream and green chilli oil — to make every bowl feel a little bit special.
Ingredients
Method
Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Place the pumpkin, onion and garlic on a large baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
Place in the oven. Roast for 1 hour, turning occasionally or until the pumpkin is tender and caramelised. Using a large spoon, scoop out the seeds and peel of the skin of the pumpkin. Squeeze the garlic from the skin.
Place the pumpkin, onion, garlic, stock and water in a large saucepan. Using a hand stick blender, blend until smooth. Place the soup over medium heat and simmer until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve with toppings (see recipes below).
“This is the kind of soup that practically makes itself. Pumpkin and sweet onion are roasted until caramelised and golden, then simply blended with stock for a silky, flavour-packed soup. The best part? You can mix and match the toppings to make every bowl your own” Jessica Brook
Choose your topping
Thai red curry coconut crunch
Prep 5 minutes Cooking 4 minutes¼ cup flaked coconut
1 tbsp red curry paste
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp crispy fried shallots
2 tbsp lime juice
¼ cup (60ml) coconut cream
Thai basil leaves, to serve
1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Place coconut, 1 teaspoon of curry paste and 2 teaspoons of oil in a small bowl and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.2. Spread out evenly on a small baking tray, lined with non-stick baking paper. Place in oven and bake for 3–4 minutes, or until toasted. Add eschallots and toss to combine.
3. Mix remaining curry paste, oil and lime juice in a small bowl.
4. To serve, drizzle soup with curry paste mixture and coconut cream. Serve sprinkled with coconut crunch and basil leaves.
Hot honey, pine nuts and rosemary with prosciutto croutons
Prep 5 minutes Cooking 4 minutes
4 slices prosciutto4 slices sourdough
¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp rosemary leaves
¼ cup (60ml) thickened cream
2 tbsp hot honey, warmed, to serve
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts, chopped
1. Wrap the prosciutto around each slice of bread. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the bread and cook for 1–2 minutes each side or until golden and crisp. Set aside.2. Add remaining oil, add rosemary leaves and cook for 30 seconds, or until crisp.
3. Drizzle soup with cream, honey and sprinkle with pine nuts and sage. Serve with pancetta croutons.
Sour cream and green chilli oil
Prep 8 minutes
1 long green chilli, chopped½ cup coriander leaves
1 makrut lime leaf
⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil
1 tsp salt flakes
½ tsp cracked white pepper
½ cup (120g) sour cream
1. For the chilli oil, combine the chilli, coriander, lime leaf, oil, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth.2. Spoon sour cream into soup and drizzle with oil to serve.
