Pumpkin Soup with Smoked Garlic

Prep time

10 minutes

Cooking time

40 minutes

Servings

6

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Ingredients

2 small pumpkins or 1 medium-large pumpkin

A glug of English rapeseed oil

Besmoke smoked paprika

1 large onion, peeled and diced

3 cloves of smoked garlic, crushed

¾ pints (425ml) full cream milk

2 pints (850ml) stock, vegetable, beef or chicken. Fresh is best.

1oz (25g) butter

Freshly ground pure sea salt 

1. Chop the pumpkin into even-sized pieces (around 8 per pumpkin).
2. Brush the surfaces with rapeseed oil and add a sprinkle of smoked paprika, then arrange the pieces on a baking tray and pop into a hot oven for about 20 minutes, until the flesh is fully tender.
3. Remove from the oven and put to one side to cool.
4. Put the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan and melt it over medium heat, then add the onions and garlic and fry for 2 minutes before turning the heat to low and cooking them very gently for another 15 minutes.
5. Scoop the pumpkin off the skin (discard the skin) and add the flesh to the pan with the onions and garlic. Give it all a good stir.
6. Immediately and carefully add the milk and stock to the pan, stir to combine then increase the heat to medium and bring to simmering point. Turn down the heat to low so it is gently simmering, and cover loosely with a lid. Simmer for 20 minutes (take care it doesn’t boil over) then remove from the heat and allow to cool a little.
7. Using a hand-blender, carefully blend the soup in the pan until it is smooth. If fibres remain, press it through a sieve then return to the pan. Check the seasoning and add more paprika and salt to taste. If it has cooled too much, gently re-heat before serving.
8. Serve in warmed bowls, or small hollowed-out pumpkins, with fresh crusty bread.