Posted 10 years ago
Pumpkin & red pepper soup (RECIPE)
What a strange and mythical fruit the pumpkin is. Yes, even though most people on this planet would (understandably) regard the pumpkin as being a vegetable, the pedants in us require that we refer to it as a fruit. An orange melon if you will. Which is not a bad description at all, considering its name is actually derived from the Greek word ‘pepon’ which refers to a big ripe melon. But we digress…
Literature and folklore is rife with references to pumpkins; from jack-o-lanterns on Halloween to Cinderella’s pumpkin coach to all other kinds of hocus-pocus in which a pumpkin is called for. For some reason the pumpkin remains a firm favourite when it comes to witchcraft and the supernatural
Pumpkin is also the main ingredient in one of our favourite soups. A soup that is ridiculously easy to make and, because we consistently seem to miscalculate the size of our fruit, there’s always enough left over for tomorrow’s lunch and an extra serving or two to go in the freezer. We serve it with a chickpea crunch which is our take on the crouton and works really well in combination with the thick and creamy texture of the soup. It also makes a great snack on its own and can be stored for later in an airtight jar.
Enough for 4 - 6 bowls:
Pumpkin and red pepper soup
- 1 medium pumpkin, in cubes
- 2 red bell peppers, roughly chopped
- 3 celery sticks, sliced
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp paprika powder
- 1 liter of vegetable stock
- 3 tbsp coconut oil*
- a pinch of black pepper
- a pinch of salt
Chickpea crunch
- 200 grams chickpeas (pre-cooked from a jar or can)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil*
- 2 tbsp paprika powder
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp of salt
* find out more about this ingredient in the pantry
Make the chickpea crunch first. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Rinse the chickpeas in water, strain and dry thoroughly with a tea towel. It’s important to remove as moisture as possible from the chickpeas before transferring them to a mixing bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil and make sure the chickpeas are evenly coated. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl, mix well and then spread the chickpeas onto a baking tray that has been lined with parchment paper. Bake for 45 - 55 minutes. Keep an eye on them and shake the tray occasionally to prevent burning and for an even roast. Remove from the oven and allow to cool off completely.
Next, crank up the oven to around 200 degrees celsius. Mix the bell peppers and pumpkin cubes with 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil and season with the paprika powder, salt and black pepper. Roast on a large oven tray for 45 - 60 minutes. In the meantime, take a large soup pan and fry the onion and celery until soft, then add the garlic and fry everything together for a few more minutes. Add the vegetable stock to the pan and bring to the boil. Finally, add the roasted pumpkin and pepper, reduce the heat and blend until smooth with a hand blender.
Serve the soup directly with a small spoonful of yoghurt or creme fraiche and a scattering of chickpea crunch. Enjoy with a slice of oatmeal bread.
Notes