Pumpkin soup for Halloween

PENNY’S PUMPKIN SOUP for HALLOWEEN TWENTY NINETEEN.

The ingredients are oh so simple for this warming soup and it is up to you if you choose to include finely chopped onions or leave them completely out. What you do need is preferably a hand held electric soup wizzer, a good mashing implement or a liquidiser. Whichever you choose, you need to reduce your cooked pumpkin to a pulp before consuming.

One large fresh pumpkin

2 Onions (optional)

Garlic, black and white pepper, turmeric and paprkia or cayenne

Soft fresh bread – to accompany the cooked soup

Grated cheese – a firm one like Edam is good

The beauty of this recipe is that you de-seed and cut up the previously washed pumpkin into fairly big pieces – 9 x 4.5 cms or similar and you DO NOT cut off the skins. Place the pieces in your largest pan of cold salted water and boil until the pumpkin sections go soft. Then leave to completely cool keeping most of the cooking water. You can take a short cut and stand the cooked pieces in cold water, then peel each piece and throw away the skins and cut the pumpkin flesh into small pieces and set aside.

In a large pan melt butter or oil and add finely chopped garlic, a large teaspoon of turmeric, salt and black and white pepper and some paprika or cayenne pepper. At this point you can choose whether to add very finely chopped onions or simply leave them out of the soup recipe.

When your ingredients are well mixed in the pan and the garlic is soft, add the small chopped pieces of pumpkin bit by big and stir gently. Allow all to cook together then add the reserved water which the pumpkins boiled in. Then cook on a medium heat until the soup is a healthy pulp. Allow to cool and either place in the refrigerator overnight or when it is cook you can then whizz your soup mixture until the pieces of pumpkin are blended in.

Serve with warmed bread – pitta is nice and apply grated cheese, a sprinkling of paprika or cayenne and some black pepper and serve with a bottle of Tabasco or Soy Sauce for your guests to add if desired.

Ingredients:-