Mother Hubbard’s Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Mother Hubbard’s Creamy Pumpkin Soup by Jackie Russell Photo: B Wilson

Perfect for those challenging times where you a) run out of food, b) run out of money c) run out of both!

Cheap, filling and nutritious, a good veggie soup can be a real lifesaver during broke weeks. Jackie came up with this one bleak Wednesday before pay day, when we were completely out of money and almost as totally out of food. All she had was a few odds and ends to throw together but the results were surprisingly delicious and now we make it often, even when the cupboards aren’t bare!

Serves 2

Ingredients

¼ of a whole pumpkin, peeled and chopped into large chunks
3 stalks celery, diced
1 tbsp red curry paste*
2 cups water
1 vegetable stock cube                                                                                                                   
200ml coconut cream                                                                                                                    
Pinch ground cumin                                                                                                                       
Pinch ground chilli powder                                                                                                               
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

*Note – Red curry paste contains onion and garlic. To make your own allium-free version, simply substitute the curry paste in this recipe for one tablespoon of chilli paste, the zest of half a lemon and a thumb-size piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated.

Method

First, roast your pumpkin. Preheat the oven to 180C, put the chunks of pumpkin into a roasting tray, with just a splash of water and cook for around 20 minutes, or until tender when pricked with a form. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Put the curry paste (or substitute, if using) into a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery and pumpkin pieces, along with one cup of the water. Keep cooking, stirring occasionally for around 10 minutes, adding more water if necessary; you don’t want the pan to go dry. Add in the rest of the water, along with the vegetable stock cube.

Slowly add the coconut cream, stirring, followed by the ground cumin and chilli. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to low, then simmer for another 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Using a stick blender or food processor, blitz the soup until smooth and creamy.