Guest Post: The Perfect Pumpkin Soup with Vanessa

There's nothing quite as delicious as a bowl of steaming hot soup on one of the first chilly nights of the year. I'm a sucker for a meal that's brimming with fresh vegetables, so this pumpkin soup is just the ticket for a yummy fall meal. This recipe uses a butternut pumpkin, which gives the finished soup a slightly sweet taste. The addition of a couple of potatoes will enhance the creamy texture of the soup. This is comfort food at its best!

Ingredients

• One butternut pumpkin
• One medium brown onion
• Four cups of vegetable stock
• Four rashers of short-cut bacon
• Two potatoes
• One tablespoon thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method

• Put stock into a large saucepan. Place on stove and heat to a rapid simmer
• Peel the pumpkin and remove the seeds. Roughly chop the pumpkin into small pieces and place into the saucepan.
• Remove the rind from the bacon. Roughly slice the bacon into small strips and add to the saucepan
• Peel the potatoes and chop into small pieces. Add the potato to the saucepan
• Peel and slice the onion. Add the onion to the saucepan
• Add the thyme and pepper to the soup.
• Reduce the heat, cover the saucepan and allow the soup to simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Use an immersion blender to purée the soup.
• Serve with crusty bread and a sprinkling of pepper on top.

If you're a vegetarian, you can adapt this dish by omitting the bacon. However, if you leave out the bacon, you might need to add a sprinkling of salt to the soup to enhance the flavour.

Not only is this soup hearty and delicious, it's really good for you. Pumpkins are filled with vitamin A and Beta Carotene, which help to support your immune system and ward off winter nasties.

For more recipes and news on my latest adventures, please visit my website.

Thank you so much to Margot for hosting this Blog Party. Enjoy the rest of September and be sure to visit the other lovely blogs who are participating.