Thai pumpkin soup

This Thai pumpkin soup is an easy autumn warmer. It's a great way to use up the flesh from carved pumpkins around Halloween. You can go as spicy as you like by changing the amount of Thai red curry paste you use. Use the toasted pumpkin seeds to garnish and make it extra special. You can also chuck in leftover veg (or meat) that needs using up.

Serves [4]

Ingredients

• 1 small to medium pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and chopped

• 1 onion, sliced

• 200 millilitre coconut milk

• 500 millilitre vegetable stock

• 1 tablespoon grated ginger

• 3-4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (pre-made or homemade)

• lime juice, for seasoning (optional)

• 1 red chilli, sliced, to serve (optional)

• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil or coconut oil

• Sea salt (or soy sauce) and cracked black pepper to season

Method

1. Heat oven to 200 celsius.

2. Toss the pumpkin or squash in a roasting tin with 1 tablespoon of oil, then roast for 30 minutes until golden and tender.

3. Put the remaining oil in a saucepan with the onion and ginger.

4. Cook on a medium heat for a few minutes until softened.

5. Stir in the curry paste for 1 min, followed by the roasted pumpkin and all but 3 tablespoons of the coconut milk and stock.

6. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Then blitz with a stick blender until smooth.

7. Return to the pan to heat through, seasoning with pepper and optional lime juice.

8. Serve drizzled with the remaining coconut milk, chilli and scattered with chilli and toasted pumpkin seeds if you have them.

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