Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Crunchy Bits

Soups are nourishing, warming bowls of goodness and this one is so rich and delicious, it's like a big cuddle from mum from the inside out!

pumpkin soup

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Crunchy Bits

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

  • 1 butternut pumpkin, cubed
  • 2 parsnips, peeled and cubed
  • 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
  • 1 brown onion, finely diced
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 6 slices prosciutto (or the equivalent of pancetta)
  • 1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • Parsley

Method

  • Place the pumpkin, parsnip and garlic on a baking tray and lightly coat with olive oil
  • Cover the tray with foil and bake at 190 degrees celcius for until soft (time will depend on how small you've cubed the veg)
  • Pop the spices in a fry pan with a little bit of olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the pepitas and toss until crunch. Set aside on some paper towel until serving
  • In a soup saucepan, sautee the onion in butter with a pinch of salt, on medium heat, until it is soft and translucent
  • In the last 5-10 minutes of the veg cooking, pop the prosciutto on a tray and add to the oven to crisp up
  • Pull the veg out of the oven and pick out the garlic cloves. Squeeze these into the saucepan with the onion - the flesh should be soft, mushy and sweet
  • Add the rest of the veg and mash lightly with the back of a wooden spoon
  • Add stock slowly until it covers the mash by about a centimetre
  • Use a stick blender to blend the soup until smooth - add more stock for a thinner consistency. Season as necessary.
  • Serve the soup topped with torn pieces of crispy prosciutto, the toasted pepitas and some freshly chopped parsley