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Soup up your pumpkin harvest!

Project coordinator for the Shropshire Master Composters, Rachel Phillips-Street, warms you up with her favourite roasted squash and tomato soup recipe.
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I love the change of the seasons, and while spring and the promise of long warm days ahead is probably my favourite time of the year - autumn holds a close second. 
As the days shorten and the leaves crisp and colour, I enjoy nothing more than bringing in the harvest, filling the freezer with soups and sauces and making the most of what’s left in the veg patch. 

October always surprises me with tomatoes plants that keep giving in the greenhouse, kale that has recovered from the ravages of Cabbage Whites, and my favourite of all, the squash in their many colours and sizes. 

This year, I grew a variety of pumpkins and squash, most with seed saved from last year - a bit haphazardly and usually without labels, so it’s always a happy surprise to see what appears when the fruit start to grow. While my courgettes struggled a bit with the long dry summer, the pumpkins have thrived on September’s rain, and I found one whopper that had climbed over the compost bin and was hiding in the hedge!

Cooking is a time for me to relax, be creative, and nourish the family. I usually make a big pot of soup at the weekend, so I’ve got it ready for lunches in the week or to pop in a flask if I’m out and about. Various intolerances mean I’m always trying out new ideas, and I try and add extra veg, pulses, nuts and seeds to whatever I’m making. I often hide them to sneak extra goodness into my fussy youngest son. 

Although I love cookery books for inspiration, I rarely follow a recipe. I’ll always add a bit of something here and there that I think might taste good, I’ve got to hand, or is in season. 
My recipe below is a general guide, which can be adapted depending upon what’s available. It also works really well with carrots and tomato. This soup is rich and hearty, full of vitamin C and antioxidants and I think good for warding off winter bugs. I’m quite pleased to report that ‘The Fussy One’ declared this heavenly - see what you think!
 

Roasted squash and tomato soup with toasted miso nuts and seeds 🔗

Ingredients

  • 1 small/medium squash, chopped (mine weighed nearly a pound, or about 450g). Save seeds for drying and planting next year or toasting!
  • 1 large or a couple of small onions or a leek, diced (I used a small red and a small white onion)
  • Couple of sticks of celery, chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • Small thumb of grated ginger
  • 1 good teaspoon of smoked paprika
  • 1 large tablespoonful tomato puree
  • A couple of handfuls of porridge oats
  • Either a can of chopped tomatoes or about the equivalent weight of fresh tomatoes (about 400g)
  • Half a small lemon, juiced
  • 1 stock cube
  • Salt and black pepper for seasoning
  • Olive oil

Topping

  • Mixed seeds for toasting
  • Miso paste
     

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Method 🔗

  1. Season the squash with some salt and pepper and roast with a splash of olive oil for about 20 mins at about 170 degrees. Add the garlic cloves (still in their skin) for the last six or seven minutes or so.
  2. While the squash is roasting, chop and sauté the onion and celery with a good glug of olive oil on a low heat until soft. Add the ginger and fry for another minute or two before adding the paprika and tomato paste.
  3. Let it sizzle for a minute or two before adding the roasted squash, tomatoes (can or chopped), two cans of water (about 800mls), a stock cube and the oats.
  4. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of their skins and add to the pot. Bring to the boil then lower and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring to make sure the oats don’t catch on the bottom of the pan. Once cooked, add the lemon juice and blend until smooth. Season with black pepper. The oats make it creamy, and the lemon juice adds a bit of zing and brings out the flavours.
  5. It will keep in the fridge for two or three days, but it doesn’t tend to last that long in our house! Serve with crusty bread, or for a gluten-free alternative, miso-toasted nuts and seeds. I dry toast pumpkin and hemp seeds in a large frying pan with cashew nuts and walnuts and a tablespoon of miso paste. Once cool, these store really well in a jar and are great for topping salads or soup, adding protein, omegas  and a tasty crunch.