Last year I cooked pumpkin soup, leaving it overnight to cool in the kitchen. The next morning the kitchen smelt of damp dog!

Using social media – Facebook and Twitter – I commented on my pongy problem. Almost immediately someone in the USA suggested that the pumpkin be roasted which would avoid the smell, and also make it easier to remove the flesh.

So this time I roasted the Halloween squash, saving the seeds to roast as well for the garnish, adding coconut milk to add an extra dimension to the flavour.

Using my slow cooker it gently simmers so that all the delicious flavours meld together delightfully.

I suggest a medium-bodied white wine with enough acidity to add a contrast to the gentle sweetness of the pumpkin.

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La Raia DOCG Gavi, Piemonte, Italy 2011

Mid yellow with a fairly intense nose of honeysuckle with a hint of sage. Dry, with ample lemon and mineral notes graced with a hint of bitterness.

Roast Pumpkin and Coconut Soup

Print recipe

Ingredients

3 Pounds / 1.35kg Pumpkin
2 Carrots (Chopped)
1 Pear (Peeled, cored and chopped)
1 Pint / 725ml Vegetable Stock
1 can Coconut Milk
2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
1 piece Ginger

Note

The addition of coconut milk and the pear add an extra dimension to this autumnal soup.

Directions

Step 1
Preheat oven 180ºC / 350ºF / Gas Mark 4
Step 2
Cut pumpkin into quarters, scrape out seeds.
Step 3
Coat all surfaces of pumpkin pieces with oil.
Step 4
Put pumpkin pieces into roasting pan with a little water. Roast in oven for 25 minutes then remove.
Step 5
When pumpkin is cool remove the flesh from the skin, then mash up in a bowl.
Step 6
Put the pumpkin and all the other ingredients into slow cooker.
Step 7
Cook on low heat for 6 hours.
Step 8
Blend or liguidise to purée the soup - be careful as is hot!
Step 9
Serve with roasted pumpkin seeds on top.