What's cooking?
Tasty autumn foods
October is a month rich in delicious seasonal foods. Pumpkins are one of the most popular autumn foods - and for good reason. As well as being incredibly versatile and suitable for all kinds of recipes, they're also extremely nutritious and an excellent source of fibre and beta-carotene. Here’s a quick and easy recipe for pumpkin soup - perfect for warming you up on a chilly autumn afternoon!
Preparation and cooking time: 35 minutes
(serves 4)
Comforting pumpkin soup
Ingredients:
- 1 medium-sized pumpkin
- 500g potatoes
- 1 medium-sized onion
- Handful of herbs - coriander, sage, or rosemary
- 1 stock cube
- Knob of butter and 30ml oil (e.g. olive oil)
- 75ml double cream (optional)
- Pepper to taste
Method:
- Peel the skin off the pumpkin and chop off the stalk. Chop it in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Cut the pumpkin flesh into 2.5cm (1") cubes.
- Melt the butter in a large pan and add the oil.
- Peel and chop the onion, then fry it gently in the pan until it begins to soften, making sure it doesn't brown. Keep the lid on throughout.
- Chop the potatoes into roughly 2.5cm (1") cubes. It's optional whether you peel them or not. Add them to the pan with the onions and stir well.
- Add the pumpkin cubes. Give them a good stir, then cover and leave for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When the potato has started to soften, mix the stock cube with about 1 litre of water and add to the pan. Let it simmer gently until all the vegetables are soft - usually after 15 minutes. Ensure there's just enough liquid to cover the vegetables, adding more water if required.
- Add the herbs of your choice and the cream (if using). Either liquidise the soup or mash it until it's smooth.
What's cooking archive:
