Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut pumpkin squash (approx 1kg)
• 3 carrots
• 6 garlic cloves
• 5 sprigs of thyme, removed from the stem
• 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 1 diced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional, more or less depending on your preference)
• Salt and pepper
• Chopped parsley
• Toasted pepita or sunflower seeds

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F

2. 2

   Chop pumpkin and carrots into medium sized pieces, place in an oven tray with the garlic (still in their peels). Add thyme, season with salt and pepper and drizzle over 2 tablespoons of oil. Place in the oven to cook.

3. 3

   Dice onion into cubes and sauté in a pot with the remaining oil

4. 4

   Once onion has become translucent, pour in vegetable stock, season with salt and pepper and add chilli (this is optional). Place lid on and simmer on a low heat.

5. 5

   Once the vegetables in the oven have softened and cooked, (approximately 30minutes) remove the garlic and keep on the side, add remaining ingredients to the stock pot and cook together for 5 minutes.

6. 6

   Let the pot cool slightly before adding the soup to a blender (refer important tips)

7. 7

   Peel garlic cloves and add to the blender. Blend until a smooth creamy consistency is achieved

8. 8

   Heat up back in the same pot and serve with a garnish of chopped parsley and toasted seeds for some crunch and enjoy!