Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

This roasted pumpkin soup is one we come back to every single autumn without fail. There's something about roasting the pumpkin first that just takes the whole thing to another level, deep and caramelised and properly warming. It's rich, silky, and has that gorgeous sweetness you only get when you really let the squash do its thing in the oven. We love making a big batch of this on a Sunday and living off it for the week. Honestly, once you've had roasted pumpkin soup, you'll never go back to the boiled stuff.

Cook: 30 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Large baking tray
  • Large saucepan
  • Stick blender or large jug blender

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds or mixed seeds
  • 2 tbsp coconut cream (for drizzling)
  • 1 cooking pumpkin - approx. 1.5kg
  • 4 shallots
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • ½ tbsp ground cumin
  • ½ tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tbsp olive oil
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 celery stick
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 orange
  • 1 litre vegetable stock
  • handful of crispy onions

Method

1

To make the roast pumpkin

  • Top, tail and peel the pumpkin, taking out the seeds, and chop the flesh into 1-inch chunks, then place on a baking tray (leaving a small gap at one end)
  • Place a few tablespoons of the seeds and place on the baking tray
  • Peel and finely slice the shallots, then place a third onto the baking tray. Add a couple of peeled garlic cloves to the tray, then sprinkle over ½ tbsp oil and a generous pinch of salt and pepper
  • Put the tray in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the pumpkin is soft
2

To make the soup base

  • Peel the carrots and roughly chop both the carrots and celery sticks
  • Heat ½ tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan and add the carrot and celery and the remaining shallot slices
  • Add a generous pinch of salt and cook for 5-7 minutes until softened
  • Pour in the stock and bring to the boil
  • Add the chilli flakes, cumin, cinnamon
  • Cook for a further 5-10 minutes until the veg is completely cooked through
  • Add the pumpkin from the oven and a good squeeze of juice from the orange (catching any pips) then stir everything together
  • Blend until smooth and silky, with either a stick blender or a large jug blender
  • Top with the crispy onions (if using), seeds and a drizzle of coconut cream

Tips & Variations

  • Use any squash you like: Butternut squash works brilliantly here if you can't get hold of a pumpkin. Henry actually prefers it for the slightly nuttier flavour.
  • Don't skip the roasting time: We know it's tempting to rush this one but giving the pumpkin proper time in the oven makes a huge difference to the final flavour. Trust us on this one.
  • Finish with something creamy: A swirl of oat cream or coconut yoghurt on top takes this from great to absolutely knockout. Ian does this every single time without fail.

Why This Works

The trick here is roasting everything together, pumpkin, shallots, garlic, even a handful of the seeds, before it goes anywhere near a blender. That time in the oven builds a depth of flavour you just can't get any other way. We also love that the toasted seeds go back on top at the end, because that little bit of crunch against the silky soup is genuinely the best bit.