Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

1tbs vegetable oil

1 onion chopped

1 garlic clove crushed

1/2tsp ground coriander

1/2tsp ground cumin

1/2tsp chilli powder

1kg pumpkin chopped

1L chicken stock (liquid)

90 mls thickened cream

1 pinch freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

STEP 1 Heat oil in saucepan and cook onion over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until soft. Add garlic, coriander, cumin and chilli and cook for 1 minute longer.

STEP 2 Add pumpkin and stock to pan, bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until pumpkin is tender. Remove pan from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

STEP 3 Place pumpkin and cooking liquid in batches in a food processor or blender, and process until smooth.

STEP 4 Return soup to a clean saucepan, stir in cream, season to taste with black pepper and cook over a medium heat, without boiling, until heated.

Notes

Serving suggestions - accompany soup with crusty bread and follow with a crisp garden salad. Instead of using a food processor to puree the soup, you can remove the cooked pumpkin from the stock and mash it, using a potato masher or fork, then mix in cooking liquid and complete as in recipe. Vegetable stock can be used. You can also use fresh chilli.