Halloween Pumpkin Soup (Using Carving Leftovers)

Step 1

Cut a disc out of the top of your pumpkin, then scoop out the seeds and stringy/slimy bits (you can roast the pumpkin seeds for a delicious and nutritious snack). Using a strong spoon, scrape out as much flesh as you can from the inside of the pumpkin and transfer this to a bowl. It takes a bit of work, but you're aiming to get the walls down to around 1 cm thick. For a pumpkin weighing between 2-3 kg, you should be able to get somewhere between 700 grams and 1.2 kilograms of flesh.

Step 2

Next, heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the roughly chopped onion and carrot. Season with salt and pepper and soften on a low/medium heat for 6-8 minutes.

Step 3

Stir in the chopped garlic and cook for another couple of minutes, followed by the ground cumin, garam masala, chilli powder, smoked paprika, and dried sage. Mix well and cook for a minute or so.

Step 4

Next, add the coconut milk, vegan stock, and pumpkin. Stir well to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and cook for 15 minutes or until all the veg is tender.

Step 5

Once the veg is soft, turn off the heat and blitz thoroughly using a hand blender. Adjust the seasoning to taste, then serve as it is or with plant-based crème fraiche or homemade cashew cream and thinly sliced spring onions.