Super FAV Winter Veg Recipe

We have an abundance of pumpkin this winter, delicious varieties including jap, blue, golden nugget and another that I am not sure about, it could be a hybrid that snuck out of the compost heap at the end of summer!

I have any number of pumpkin recipes, mostly they play to the sweetness of this nutritious and highly underrated veg, but my favourite is a very versatile and highly adaptable pumpkin soup.

The reason I say versatile and adaptable is that it basically takes whatever you have left in the pantry or fridge and turns it into a hearty meal for a hungry family.

To make the soup base, start with any combination of garlic, onion, leeks and celery and sweat in a large pot until nicely browned and suitably fragrant. Then add ½ a decent sized pumpkin chopped into chunks. At this point you can also add any other root veg you fancy, or have wilting in the bottom of the fridge; parsnip, swedes and turnip are in season at the moment and carrots, potato or sweet potato will also do just fine! They need to be cut into similar size of the pumpkin, but be sure not to add so much that it will overpower the flavour of the pumpkin, it is after all the hero of the dish.

Now you need to add enough water to cover the vegetables – and then add a bit more…because now you are going to add another pantry staple – soup mix, barley, lentils, green peas, white beans etc… about 250g will be sufficient, but if you want a really thick soup, add more!

These will all cook together in the soup, once the ingredients are all soft – blitz it up and serve with crusty bread and a squeeze of lemon.

This soup is a great way to sneak in some extra fibre and nutrients as it includes hidden legumes and vegetables which are very important for a healthy diet – if you want to get really cheeky add an apple or a pear for a bit of extra flavour and a serve of fruit!