Originally inspired by a Covent Garden Soup Co recipe, the pumpkin here could be substituted for sweet potato or any other roasted squash.

If you buy something large like a pumpkin, roast it all in one go and then freeze it in portions – that way this soup can be prepared in minutes rather than hours and you won’t be faced with the burden of trying to cut and cook pumpkin more than once in the same week. No one needs that.

If using pumpkin, I’d recommend skinning all or at least part of it – I find the skin makes it too bitter. Butternut squash tends to have a slightly sweeter skin and sweet potato skin adds nothing but a little colour, so keep these if you like. Will up the fibre content if nothing else.

Lastly, for any squash with seeds, keep the seeds and roast them for topping soups and salads or simply snacking on – just soak the seeds in salted water for 12-24hrs, rinse off any stringy flesh (the soaking makes it easier to part the seeds from the flesh) and lay in a single layer in a warm or cooling oven until crisp. To make it super energy efficient, roast them when you already have the oven on. Once cool, store in an airtight container for weeks or even months.

Serves 2

Ingredients

Pumpkin, squash or sweet potato	260	grams
Orange Zest	0.5
Orange Juice	1	tablespoon
Ginger	20	grams
Chilli	0.5	teaspoon
Vegetable Stock Powder	1	teaspoon
Stale Bread	30	grams
Pumpkin Seeds	10	grams

Main Equipment

1. Blender

Method

1. If not already roasted, roast your pumpkin, squash or sweet potato in a medium oven. For squash, slice into large chunks and spritz with a little olive oil. No need to peel before roasting – it will be much easier once cooked if you even need to do it at all. Reserve the seeds & follow the notes above or recipe here to dry these for topping soups and salads.
2. If you are using squash previously roasted & frozen, thaw before use.
3. If you think your squash skin is on the bitter side, remove some or all of it before adding the chunks of flesh to the blender. If you aren’t sure, try a little. Keeping at least some of it keeps more of the fibre from the veg.
4. Cut about a 2cm/20g chunk of fresh ginger – no need to peel and as long as you have a decent blender, no need to cut at all. It will be virtually raw in the soup so remember it will have a fire – if unsure, go easy and add more later.
5. Add chilli to taste – fresh or flakes, noting the advice on fiery ginger above.
6. Add a teaspoon of vegetable stock powder.
7. Add boiling water – enough to cover if using a blending jug, 200ml ish at a guess. You can always add more if too thick or thicken with bread if you go too far the other way.
8. Add the zest of half an orange.
9. Blend until smooth. Add the juice of about a quarter of an orange, about a tablespoon.
10. Taste, add more ginger or chilli if it needs more oomph, more orange juice if it is a little too hot. If it really is too hot, a little natural yoghurt should bring it back.
11. Heat through (or if you are lucky enough to have an all-in-one blending soup maker you are good to go).
12. Serve topped with any bread you wish to use up (dry bread cut into small cubes will work a treat) and the pumpkin or squash seeds.