Roasted red pepper and pumpkin soup

Serves: 4

This red pepper and pumpkin soup is a real winter warmer and one for the spice lovers. Whip up a batch and enjoy for dinner or heat any leftovers for a filling lunch and serve with crusty bread.

Ingredients:

4 red peppers, deseeded
30g butter
2 tbsp Mr Hugh’s rapeseed oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
750g pumpkin or squash, peeled and diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1.2 vegetable or chicken stock
150ml double cream
Sea salt and black pepper

To serve:

50g Greek yoghurt or crème fraiche
2 tsp chives, finely chopped
30g pumpkin seeds, caramelised

Method:

Place the peppers, skin side up, on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes, until the skins are charred. Remove from the oven and place in a bowl. Cover with cling film and leave to cool. Once cool, peel off the skins.
Meanwhile, melt the butter with the oil in a large, heavy based saucepan. Add the onion, pumpkin, cumin and red chilli, season with sea salt and black pepper, and sweat the vegetables for 5- 10 minutes without browning. Add the garlic and cook on a low heat for a further minute. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add in the red peppers and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Blend the soup in a food processor or with a hand blender, and adjust the seasoning to taste. Return to the pan and stir in the cream.
Gently reheat the soup and ladle into warmed bowls. Place a spoonful of Greek yoghurt in each and sprinkle with the chives and caramelised pumpkin seeds and rapeseed oil.