Pumpkin Soup

Being in the middle of winter, soup is really one of those comfort foods that I just love. I used to make the typical huge pot of Kiwi Vege soup, using Kings Soup Mix, with all it's barley glory, but of course that has been banished to the past, although I consider myself lucky that I still have lovely memories of my Mum making it, and of coming in from netball on a cold wet and freezing Saturday to a big bowl of one-stop-shop goodness. Now the soup mixes along with all the other baddies in the pantry, have been donated in the huge food parcel for my almost 22 year old daughter. Her flatmates thought it was great, and I hope they are scoffing themselves silly on all that "hidden" gluten! I also hope they don't think that food parcels like that are going to be a regular event. Blimey we would go bankrupt!

Anyway it's not so much of a loss, because now I just make up my own soup mix, with lentils and split green and yellow peas, and it not that much different. But my biggest crush this winter has been pumpkin and coriander soup. This recipe is really easy and pretty quick. The longest bit is chopping up the pumpkin and peeling it, but if you have a good sharp knife its not as wrist breaking as I used to find it! I just made this up as I went along, but in my opinion it's a bit of a winner. I dunked some of the bread (I use that term very loosely) I made, which really just turned out to be a one inch thick slab of dense "something or other"! I froze it for scientific purposes, but it did actually taste quite nice as a "soup dunker".

What follows is a less than scientific recipe. Probably more as a guideline really, because I am not much into measuring out stuff. (hence the now aptly named Soup Dunker Bread).

Pumpkin Soup

1 pumpkin. (Any size but obviously the bigger the pumpkin the more soup you will yield!)

Splash of Olive oil (probably about a tablespoons or two worth)

A handful or two of Coriander finely chopped (I love Coriander so sometimes it ends up a bit more,

A few average sized garlic cloves

1 decent sized onion

teaspoon or so of GF chicken stock (or vegetable or non if you don't have any, because you can use some salt)

Salt to taste

Method:

Dice the onion and and chop the garlic. You don't have to be too fussy but don't have great hunks of it.

Peel and de-seed the pumpkin, and cut into about 1 inch size pieces. Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil. Throw in the coriander and give it a bit of a mix around, and then the pumpkin. **I actually added a Kumara to this one, which sweetened it a little, but I don't normally** Add about a teaspoon of the stock if you are using it, and then cover with water and simmer until the pumpkin is soft. Once it has all cooked, ladle it into a food processor or blender until it is pureed. You will have to do it in batches, so have another container or pot on standby. If it is too thick you can thin it down a bit with water or some cream or milk.

It will keep in a covered container in the fridge for a good few days or you could freeze it, but if its anything like ours it won't be around that long!!

Hope you like it! ~Liz~