Pumpkin soup
Recipe: https://recipestripper.com/recipes/e1ca93ca-4f1e-4e9c-a3ea-660d68e9ece3
Original source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/pumpkinsoup_89904
Recipe image: https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/food/ic/food_16x9_1600/recipes/pumpkinsoup_89904_16x9.jpg

You need to have this delightfully warming pumpkin soup recipe on hand when autumn rolls around and there are pumpkins aplenty. It works just as well with dense orange squashes like butternut. Serve with a swirl of cream and some toasted seeds from the pumpkin.

Each serving provides 252 kcal, 4.3g protein, 11.2g carbohydrate (of which 7.4g sugars), 20.2g fat (of which 8.5g saturates), 2.4g fibre and 0.67g salt.
Yield: Serves 6–8
Prep time: PT30M
Cook time: PT1H

Ingredients
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 25g/1oz unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium pumpkin (prepared weight about 850g/1lb 14oz) deseeded and roughly chopped
- 1 medium-sized floury potato, such as Maris Piper, roughly chopped
- 1 litre/1¾ pint vegetable or chicken stock, a little extra may be needed
- 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
- 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Put the onion, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, butter and half the olive oil into a large pan. Cook over a low–medium heat for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender but not coloured.
2. Add the pumpkin and potato, mix to combine and cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Pour in the stock, season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, half cover the pan with a lid and continue to cook for about 20–30 minutes until the squash is really tender when tested with the point of a knife.
3. Pick out the bay leaf and blend the soup until smooth using a stick blender.
4. Add the cream and a little more stock if the soup is on the thick side, taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as required.
5. Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and fry quickly until the seeds start to pop. Remove from the pan.
6. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with a swirl of cream and the toasted pumpkin seeds.