• Ingredients

            For the soup:
            One pumpkin (c 1 - 1.5kg)
            2 garlic cloves
            2 medium potatoes
            1 medium white onion (sliced).
            1 pint chicken stock (vegetable if preferred).
            Fresh sage leaves
            Salt and pepper for seasoning

            For the toasted pumpkin seeds:
            Seeds from the pumpkin
            Olive oil (I use olive oil spray).
            Rock salt
          • Serves

            4-6
          • Cooking Time

            c 1 hour
          • Difficulty

            Easy
          • Nutritional Info

            Pumpkin is a rich source of Vitamin C and betacarotenes, and help protect of the heart and colon. Pumpkin seeds are packed with minerals; particularly zinc. They are low in saturated fat, a great source of protein and also rich in omega 3 essential fats. A brilliant snack!
        • Roast Pumpkin and Sage Soup with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

          For the soup:

          Cut the pumpkin into quarters and scrape out the seeds.

          Chop the pumpkin into chunks (leaving the skin on for now) then place the quartered pumpkin onto a roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil.

          Roast at 180 degrees centigrade for c 30 minutes then remove from the oven and leave to cool. (Note: you can toast the seeds at the same time – see below).

          Whilst the pumpkin is cooking, slice the onion and then peel and crush two cloves of  garlic.

          Scrape the roasted pumpkin flesh  from its skin and add to a large pan, together with the stock, onion, garlic and a small handful of fresh sage leaves.

          Bring the ingredients to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the pumpkin flesh is soft.

          Place the contents of the pan into a blender and blend until smooth. Return the soup to a pan, season with salt and pepper to taste, and heat through. Serve and dress with a fresh sage leaf and toasted pumpkin seeds.

          2013-10-30 17.49.10For the toasted seeds:

          Rinse the seeds and remove any remaining strands of pumpkin flesh.

          Boil a small pan of water (c 2 cups of water) and add the seeds and a pinch of salt. Bring the water to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain the seeds  in a colander.

          Tip the seeds onto a baking tray, spray with olive oil and add some rock salt. Toss them around to help coat the seeds. Bake at c 180 degrees for between 5 and 20 minutes; checking until they are brown but not burnt.

          When cooked, remove from the heat and leave to cool.

          The seeds can be sprinkled on the soup, or eaten as a separate snack.