Pumpkin Soup with Roasted Pepper Salsa

Ingredients

• 1 large or 2 medium red peppers
• 800 g pumpkin or butternut cubed
• 4 cloves garlic (whole and in skins)
• oil for drizzling
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
• oil for frying
• 4 cups warm stock
• 6 dried apricots (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp chilli oil or 1 chilli finely chopped
• salt and pepper to season

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven grill.

2. 2

   Place the peppers on a baking tray and place under the grill.

3. 3

   Allow the skin to blacken (turn the peppers 90 degrees every 4 minutes or so).

4. 4

   Remove the peppers and place in a plastic bag to sweat for about 20 minutes.

5. 5

   Peel off the blackened skin and remove the stem and all seeds and set aside.

6. 6

   While the peppers are sweating, reduce the oven temp to 200 degrees C

7. 7

   Place the pumpkin/butternut and garlic on a roasting tray and drizzle with some oil.

8. 8

   Roast until the pumpkin is cooked and the edges are starting to caramelise. About 30 - 40 minutes.

9. 9

   Sweat the onions and garlic in a splash of oil and fry over a medium heat until softened.

10. 10

    Add the pumpkin/butternut and sweat for a further 5 minutes.

11. 11

    Add the stock and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.

12. 12

    Season with salt and pepper.

13. 13

    Remove from the heat and puree the soup. Add some more stock if required.

14. 14

    In a food processor, squeeze the roasted garlic from the skins.

15. 15

    Add the peppers, apricot and chilli oil or fresh chilli.

16. 16

    Blitz for a few seconds at a time until the mixture is still chunky.

17. 17

    Serve the soup with a dollop of the salsa.

18. 18

    Adapted from Cherie Antrobus