Roast Pumpkin Soup

Biff's Tips

• Pick the right pumpkin. Dense, sweet varieties like Crown Prince or Delica make the best roast pumpkin soup. Big carving pumpkins work but are more watery, so roast them 10 minutes longer and use less stock.
• Give it room on the tray. Crowded pumpkin steams instead of roasting. Those dark, caramelised edges are where all the flavour is.
• Miso goes in last. Stir it in off the heat so it keeps its savoury punch. If you love miso as much as I do, try my miso honey roasted aubergine.

Let's Dive In!

Step 1: Roast

Heat the oven to 200c (180 fan). Toss 1.5kg pumpkin chunks and 2 quartered red onions with 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin and a good pinch of salt. Spread out on a large tray.

Slice the top off 1 whole bulb of garlic, drizzle with a little oil, wrap loosely in foil and pop it on the tray. Roast for 40–45 minutes, turning halfway, until the pumpkin is soft with dark, caramelised edges.

Step 2: Toasted seeds

While that roasts, toast 50g shelled pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan, until they puff up and start to pop. Tip onto a plate to cool.

Step 3: Soup

Tip the roasted pumpkin and onions into a large pan. Squeeze in the soft garlic cloves, add 20g grated fresh ginger and cook on a medium heat for 2 minutes.

Skim 3–4 tbsp of thick cream off the top of a 400ml tin of coconut milk and set aside for serving. Pour the rest into the pan with 800ml hot vegetable stock and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Take the pan off the heat, stir in 1 tbsp white miso, then blitz with a stick blender until completely smooth. Add a splash of water if it's too thick. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lime and season with salt and pepper. Taste it. The lime should lift it, not make it sour.

Step 4: To serve

Ladle into warm bowls and drizzle a swirl of the reserved coconut cream across one side. Scatter seeds from ½ pomegranate, the toasted pumpkin seeds and a small handful of curly parsley along the swirl, then finish with plenty of cracked black pepper.

Serve with toasted sourdough or my homemade flatbreads for dunking, or pour it into a flask and take it down to the beach for a post-surf warm-up.

Storage:

Keeps for 3 days in the fridge and freezes well for up to 3 months. Keep the toppings separate and add them fresh when you serve: the seeds stay crunchy in an airtight jar and the pomegranate keeps for a few days in the fridge.

Pumpkin Soup FAQs

• Can you freeze pumpkin soup? Yes, for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently.
• Can I use a Halloween carving pumpkin? Yes, but it's more watery. Roast it 10 minutes longer and start with half the stock.
• Can I use butternut squash? Absolutely. Use the same weight for a slightly sweeter, silkier soup.
• How do I make pumpkin soup thicker? Use less stock, or add a small roasted potato or a handful of red lentils with the stock.
• Is this pumpkin soup vegan? Yes, every ingredient is plant-based. Just check your stock and miso labels.

Hungry for more? Try my Jamaican chickpea and sweet potato curry or Balinese cauliflower and tempeh rendang.

Rather leave the cooking to us? Come and find Biffen's Kitchen at Rockhopper Brewery & Taproom in Chivenor every Friday and Saturday this winter.

BIFF, BOSH, NOSH!