Pumpkin Soup

Emma and her boyfriend were carving pumpkins yesterday. One that they had bought had some bruising so they decided not to use it. Dad, therefore, ends up with a pumpkin to use – he can't throw it away 'cos he'd been writing about waste food a couple of hours earlier!

So what to make? Pumpkin Pie? Pumpkin Risotto? Ravioli? No, none of these, boring old Dad's chosen pumpkin soup

Method
Chop the pumpkin into pieces and put into a roasting tray with a large onion (peeled & quartered) and half a bulb of garlic (about 5-6 cloves). Slosh some oil over them and mix together. You could add fresh woody herbs such as rosemary or thyme. I couldn't be bothered to go into the garden to get any! Roast at 180°C for about 45 minutes then leave to cool a bit.

Cut the pumpkin off the skin and put into a pan with the onion. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins and add to the pan. Just cover with chicken stock (or vegetable stock), add salt, pepper - I used both white and black, and a sprinkle of dried herbs (if you've not used fresh ones earlier). Simmer for about 20 mins.

Zap in a liquidiser or food processor until smooth.

Serve with crusty bread adding a spoon of cream just before serving if you fancy. I prefer it without.