Never-fail pumpkin soup

  • Easy
  • Mid-week Dinner
Cook recipe
Never-fail pumpkin soup
Never-fail pumpkin soup

"This is good for Vegetarians and Vegans and is a handy way of combining protein and veggies into a one plate meal"– Kalina Koloff.

The name is so apt, as you really can’t go wrong with this one.

Feel free to adjust the three orange vegetables in this recipe with the amounts of whatever is in your fridge. Depending on either your taste preferences or time you can mash or blend the soup as smooth as you like – for all differing moods. The split peas give an earthiness that balances the sweetness of these vegetables, plus adds some protein to the meal. Is great for families with toddlers as most love pumpkin soup and this recipe adds some extra, sneaky vegetables, plus fibre and protein, for a more rounded meal. They love to do the mashing as well!

Serves 6 – 8. Freezes well. Vg. V. DF. GF.

Pictured: “Never-fail Pumpkin Soup”

Ingredients

  • 1 large brown onion
  • 1.5cm knob of ginger
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 litre chicken (or vegetable) stock
  • 1 cup yellow split peas
  • 1 medium butternut pumpkin, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, chopped
  • 1 medium sweet potato, chopped
  • Optional -
  • 1 tsp of mustard seeds or curry powder
  • Or a few pinches of cayenne pepper
  • Or ½ tsp of garam masala and a pinch of nutmeg

Method

Heat up a little olive oil in a heavy based saucepan.

Soften onions, add ginger and lightly fry.

Add spices, plus any optional spices, and toast - once they release their fragrance add in warmed stock, bring liquid to boil and add split peas.

Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add pumpkin, carrots and sweet potato and continue to simmer for another 20 minutes. Check everything is soft and then blend til smooth or manually mash with a potato masher if you prefer a more rustic consistency- as pictured above.

To serve, sprinkle with fresh chopped coriander and light sour cream or good Greek yoghurt. You could also sprinkle with chopped parsley, chives or spring onions.

Serve with crusty bread, cheese and herb scones or garlic naan – all are good on the side depending on the spices you added at the beginning.

TasteTip - Pumpkins used to be such a cheap vegetable their flesh was originally used to bulk out the dough in pumpkin bread, particularly in France where it was called pain de courge. Now it is an expensive treat like brioche, eaten with coffee or as a snack.

Dietary preferences

  • Vegetarian with substitutions
  • Gluten-Free with ingredient checks
  • Dairy-Free with ingredient checks
  • Vegan with substitutions
  • Dairy-Free with substitutions