Pumpkins, we barely see them all year yet once October comes around, we can’t escape their orange faces. A staggering 15 million pumpkins are grown in the UK every year, but how many of us have actually eaten one of them?
Over half of them (around eight million) are only used for carving, and come the 1st of November they’re dumped in the rubbish.
Why not try using your leftover Halloween pumpkins to make a spiced pumpkin soup so there is less waste this year...
Ingredients
Approx. 900g of peeled, de-seeded pumpkin flesh
1 Large onion, roughly chopped
1 Large carrot, roughly chopped
1 Stick of celery, roughly chopped
1 Litre stock (vegetable from a cube is fine)
25g Butter or vegan butter
½ Teaspoon ground cumin
½ Teaspoon ground coriander
1 Bay leaf
Method
In a large pan, melt the butter and over a low/medium heat, fry the onions ‘til they’re golden.
Add the rest of the vegetables and spices and cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes.
Add the stock and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
Blend the soup in a food processor. (watch out for hot splashes!)
Season to taste, then serve with a sprinkling of herbs and/or a swirl of cream.
