Pumpkins are for eating, not just for Halloween
Call me a killjoy, if it was Christmas you could call me Ba Humbug, but I really dislike the waste of food at Halloween. I saw it when my own kids were young, bags of sweets and fruit from trick or treating, and of course the huge numbers of pumpkins that are wasted. Okay, that’s the lecture over so let’s look at loving and eating pumpkins this year.
I was delighted to find a great big pumpkin in my veg bag delivery this week and even more delighted to find that it also included a recipe for spicy pumpkin soup. My bag comes from Bellfield Organics and they’re always happy for me to include the recipe in blog posts. I’m on a mission this month to think outside the pumpkin. It’s not just for Halloween, it’s for eating. Make soup, use it it casseroles, roast it, make it cakes, whatever you do, cook pumpkin and eat it.
This gorgeous pumpkin was in my organic veg bag this week
This was quite a big pumpkin and I still have more than half leftover. The pumpkin seeds can also be used so don’t thrown them away. I’ll be roasting them in oil and using in salads and snacks.
Don’t throw the seeds away, roast and use in salads or as snacks.
This is the first of several recipes I’ll be posting this month and I hope it encourages you to be adventurous with pumpkins while they are in season.
Warming and spicy pumpkin soup
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 medium red onion - chopped
- 3 garlic cloves - crushed
- 1 kg pumpkin - chopped
- 300 g potatoes - chopped
- 1 tsp ground corriander
- 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes Or 1 tsp dried chilli powder
- 1 litre Stock - Vegetable or Chicken
- 200ml Creme Fraiche - half fat if preferred
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and garlic, cook gently for about 3 minutes or until the onion has softened.
- Add the pumpkin and the potato and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
- Add the chilli flakes and coriander and cook for a 1 minute.
- Add the stock, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Blend until smooth and stir in cream. Adjust seasoning as required.