One of the best things about autumn is definitely pumpkin – among chestnuts and the colours, oh the colours, of course.

All through summer I successfully ignored pumpkins from all over the world that seemed to be calling out for me from supermarket shelves. However, if the pumpkin isn’t Austrian, it’s not yet autumn, therefore not yet pumpkin time. I do my best to buy fruit and veggies when they are in season and have not been shipped halfway across the globe (exceptions occur, especially with tropical fruit that simply don’t grow here, such as avocados, mangos).

Fortunately, since we returned from New Zealand in early September there have already been ample opportunities to track down the odd butternut or hokkaido

and turn them into one of my most treasured comfort dishes: pumpkin soup.

It’s nutritious, it’s absolutely delicious, it’s easy to make – and it’s also pretty!

Here is my foolproof recipe:

Pumpkin soup
Serves approx. 4 persons of medium appetite

Ingredients

• 1 good-sized butternut or hokkaido pumpkin
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 teaspoon coriander kernels
• 1-2cm of fresh ginger
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• Peanut and/ or sesame oil
• Hot water
• Salt, pepper, chili, nutmeg to taste
• Pumpkin seed oil, roasted pumpkin seeds, sour cream of your choice to decorate/ taste
• Crisp, dark break

Directions
Peel and cube pumpkin and sweet potato (I cut cubes of 1-2cm³). If using a hokkaido, remember that you can eat the skin so you only need to wash thoroughly.
Pour oil into a pot (I use approx. 1 tablespoon of peanut oil and a few drops of sesame oil).

Grind coriander, ginger, garlic and chili in a mortar, add it to the pot and heat up the stove.
Cover the spices with the oil and wait until the kitchen smells really lovely, then add the cubed veggies and stir for a minute or two, then slowly add water until everything is just covered. Turn back the heat and let simmer until pumpkin and potato are soft, then take off the stove and blend. Keep adding hot water until the consistency is perfect for you (I actually prefer what Mr A will call “baby food”). Add salt and pepper to taste – and just a pinch of nutmeg. Serve on plates and decorate or “improve” with pumpkin seed oil, roasted pumpkin seeds and/ or sour cream – or with whatever strikes your fancy. Or eat it just the way it is. With bread. Either way, you are going to enjoy it.

Pumpkin soup can easily be made in a batch and also frozen/ reheated. From September until as far into winter as I can manage this will be one of my office food staples.

Related posts:

Aliciouslyvegan: Stuffed pumpkin Aliciouslyvegan: Pumpkin mushroom risotto Aliciouslyvegan: Red lentil soup with potatoes