Rich, comforting and deliciously spicy, it’s no surprise that pumpkins continue to dominate the autumn season - whether carving for Halloween displays, indulging in an insta-famous pumpkin spice latte, or enveloping yourself in the warming scent of pumpkin candles, this trend is back and here to stay for autumn.
However, despite the pumpkin’s clear popularity, a staggering 15 million are thrown away each year, despite every part of the fruit (yes, fruit, including the seeds themselves!) being edible. That’s enough to make a bowl of warming pumpkin soup for every person in Britain!
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Pumpkin Soup with Chilli and Crème Fraiche
Kitchen Appliance: Panasonic Inverter Combi Microwave NN-CD87KSBPQ
Dish: 6 pint Pyrex® bowl
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 onions, diced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 mild red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1kg pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and deseeded
- 650 mls hot vegetable stock
- 4 tbsp crème fraiche, plus more to serve.
Method
- Place the butter, onions, garlic, chillies and cumin in a large Pyrex® bowl, cover with pierced cling film. Place on the base of the oven and cook on MEDIUM MICROWAVE for 5 mins or until soft.
- Cut the squash into cubes then add to the onion mix. Add the hot stock, cover and cook on HIGH MICROWAVE for 20 mins or until the squash is soft.
- Season with salt and pepper, add the crème fraiche. Allow to cool before blitzing in a liquidiser. Return to the microwave and heat on high microwave for 3 mins before serving.
- Serve the soup in bowls with swirls of crème fraiche and a scattering of fresh chopped chillies.
