Serves 6
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small squash or pumpkin (seeds removed and cut into 2cm chunks) – n.b I don’t bother
to peel my squash
2 small or 1 large carrot – again, I don’t peel but remove the top and tail
1 stick celery or a bunch of celery tops
2 fat cloves of garlic, crushed (optional)
1 brown onion roughly chopped
800ml-1litre vegetable stock from cube or concentrate (depending on how thick you like
your soup)
1⁄4 teaspoon of ground turmeric
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan assisted
2. Add the pumpkin to a roasting tray and drizzle over some olive oil (about 1 tablespoon)
before roasting for up approximately 45 minutes (check regularly to ensure the
pumpkin is cooking evenly, turn it in the pan if you need to).
3. After twenty minutes add the carrot to the roasting pan, shaking to ensure all the
vegetables are coated in oil and mixed well.
4. When both carrot and pumpkin are cooked through remove from the oven to cool
slightly.
5. In a large saucepan hob fry off the onion and celery in a splash of olive oil until the
mixture is soft but not brown (around 5 minutes) then add the pumpkin and carrot
mixture.
6. Make up the vegetable stock and set to one side.
7. Add the carrot and pumpkin to the saucepan, add the stock, herbs and spices.
8. Cook for 5 minutes to ensure all flavours are combined before whizzing together using
a use a stick blender in the pan. Use as much as are little stock to get the consistency
you like - for a runnier soup use more stock. Be careful to avoid splashing as the
mixture will be hot.
9. When everything is smooth, taste & season to your liking.