Roasted Butternut Pumpkin Soup with Crunchy Maple Croutons

Ingredients

For the soup:

  • 1 small organic butternut Pumpkin, peeled, seeded and chopped into pieces
  • 3 whole organic garlic cloves
  • 1 organic red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
  • 2 tsp organic cumin seeds
  • 3 tbs rice bran or vegetable oil
  • 25 liters (2.5 pints) organic vegetable stock
  • 1-2 tsp chilli paste
  • ¼ cup soy cream or natural yogurt (optional)

For the crunchy maple croutons:

  • 4 thick slices of multi-grain or rye bread, diced into cubes
    (Going gluten-free? Use gluten-free bread like Udi’s or Glutino to make your own croutons. Click here for more.)
  • 1 tbs maple syrup
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • ½ tsp paprika

Instructions:

  • Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/392°F
  • Toss the organic pumpkin pieces, whole garlic cloves and red onion with the oil and cumin seeds until evenly coated.
  • Transfer to a large baking tray and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden (shake the pan occasionally to avoid sticking and to move the pieces around a little to cook evenly).
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool just slightly. Transfer the roasted pumpkin pieces and wedges of onion to a large pot with any pan juices. Squeeze the garlic from their skins and add to the pot with the stock and chilli paste.
  • Bring to a gentle boil and allow to simmer for just a minute of two, remove from the heat. Using a stick blender or in batches in a food processor blend the soup until smooth.
  • Return the soup to a gentle heat and allow to warm through. Stirring add the soy cream or yogurt once warm and over a low heat allow to gently heat through and thicken making sure not to boil the soup as it may curdle.
  • Next prepare the crunchy maple croutons. Toss the cubes of bread with the maple syrup, olive oil, paprika and ground salt and pepper until evenly coated.
  • Heat a good fryingpan over a medium heat, add the cubes of bread and fry for 3-4 minutes tossing the pan frequently until crunchy and golden on all sides.
  • Remove from the pan and set aside on absorbent paper until the soup is ready.
  • Serve this tasty soup in warm bowls topped with crunchy maple croutons and a little drizzle of olive oil if you like.

Recipe courtesy of Veggie Num Num.