Roast Pumpkin, Coconut and Chilli Soup

Easy Autumn comfort food in a bowl - choose small pumpkins as they’re easier to tackle in the kitchen and know that butternut squash is an ideal substitute for later in the year when pumpkin isn’t as available in the supermarket x

Serves: 6

Time: 1 hour

1kg of pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and chopped into rough chunks

1 tbsp of melted butter

3 tbsp of olive oil

3 small red onions, finely chopped

1 tsp red chilli flakes

1 x 400g tin of coconut milk

500ml vegetable stock

Juice of 1/2 lime

Sea salt and ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/450°F/Gas Mark 8.

2. Tumble the pumpkin into a roasting tin and toss in 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper and pop in the oven to roast for 45 minutes or until the edges are slightly charred and tender when pierced with a fork.

3. In a large pot, heat another tablespoon olive oil and fry the onions until they are soft. Stir through the chilli flakes with some salt & pepper and fry for a further minute.

4. Once roasted, add the pumpkin to the pot, along with the coconut milk and vegetable stock. Leave some coconut milk for serving at the end. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Using a hand or stand alone blender, whizz the soup until you have a velvety smooth consistency. You may need to add more stock or boiling water to get the right consistency. Add some more seasoning if needed, alongside the lime juice, remaining olive oil and serve the soup in warm bowls with a sprinkle of chilli flakes and an extra drizzle of coconut milk.