Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Chilli Kale

Recipe

This roasted pumpkin soup is a fantastic 'make ahead' soup that can be whipped up in minutes. You can save time by roasting the pumpkin while making dinner, and then store the roasted pumpkin in the fridge ready to make the soup the next day. Roasting the pumpkin gives it a deeper, sweeter flavour. The crispy kale topping can also be made ahead and stored in an airtight container for 2 days. This soup freezes well so don’t be afraid to make a large pot!

Ingredients

• ½ pumpkin (700 g) cut into large chunks, leave the skin on
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 medium onions, diced
• 1 leek, finely sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 litre reduced salt stock
• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
• ½ cup reduced-fat coconut milk

Kale Topping

• 6 leaves of kale (washed and sliced, removing the hard stem on the leaf)
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 small chilli (deseeded), finely chopped

Method

1. On a flat tray lined with baking paper place large chunks of pumpkin with their skin on and drizzle with a little olive oil. Cook at 190C° for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is coloured and softened. Set aside to cool.
2. In a large pot, add olive oil and set heat to medium. Add chopped onions, garlic and leeks and saute for 5-10 minutes until softened. Add thyme and pumpkin, removing the outer skin and any seeds.
3. Add stock and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes. Use a blending stick to make a smooth soup or a potato masher to keep it chunky. Stir in coconut milk and season with a little white pepper to taste.
4. For the crispy chilli kale, wash 6 leaves of kale and fold in half long ways to slice off the stem. Stack the six leaves on top of each other and finely slice the kale together.
5. Heat a saucepan with olive oil and sesame oil to medium-high heat. Add the crushed garlic, and finely chopped red chilli and stir. Carefully add the kale and stir continuously until the kale is crispy. Remove to cool and place on top of hot soup.

Cook’s notes:

• Crispy kale can be kept in a separate sealed container for 2-3 days. The soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
• When roasting the pumpkin you can also add the whole onions with the skin removed to roast as well.

Nutrition information: