Autumn Harvest Soup

Soup. Also known as a very grown up way to use the inside of your Halloween pumpkin!

The great thing about soups is that they are such flexible recipes. Using our very basic guide you can make any number of inventions. You could use home grown veggies straight out of the garden, oddments you've found in the fridge or pull out one of those freezer boxes you prepared a few weeks back. It' even up to you how you cook it, if you fancy some quiet time in front of the hob then carry on... Or if it's a lazy Sunday afternoon, then fire up the slow cooker and flop on the sofa. Like we did!

Our basic ingredient guide:

• The main flavour (carrot, parsnip, leek, etc)
• The secondary flavours (onion, peppers, corn, etc)
• Seasoning (herbs, spices, garlic, etc)
• Thickener (potatoes, lentils, cream, etc)
• Stock (homemade stock or stock cubes)
• Garnish, to look posh when the Queen is coming to dinner (fresh herbs, crème fraiche, balsamic vinegar, croutons, etc)

Your ingredient pile might end up looking something like this:

• Main flavour - butternut Squash and chilli
• Secondary flavours - onion, carrot and red pepper
• Seasoning - garlic puree, rosemary, thyme, sage and chilli flakes
• Thickener - potatoes
• Stock - vegetable stock cubes

The plan was to make a spicy pumpkin soup but apparently we're too early in the season... So we improvised! Do us a favour, when you tell your friends about this amazing recipe, can you tell them it was pumpkin for a spooky Halloween soup please?

Method:

Step one: Deseed and peel the squash (cough PUMPKIN cough) and cut into chunks. Season with pepper and chilli flakes then roast for about 30 minutes in a 200 degrees C oven. If you can't be bothered to roast it, fair enough! Put the roasted (or not) squash in your slow cooker pot or pan on the hob.

Step two: Roughly chop your remaining vegetables (or open your freezer box) and add to the pot/pan.

Step three: Add your stock. How much is up to you depending on how thick you want your finished soup. If you're using the hob about a pint is a good place to start. Slow cookers need less liquid so we used a mug and a half of stock. You can always add more water later on if required. Add your seasoning.

Step four: If you're using the hob, leave to slowly boil for about an hour, stirring occasionally. If you're using a slow cooker, turn it to high and take a four hour nap or turn it to low and take a day trip.

Step five: Blend to the consistency you like. 

Step six: We're hoping the Queen might call in so we primped our soup with garlic oil, balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of fresh coriander.

Bon appetit!

Hints and tips:

The main flavour - make sure this is the bulk of your ingredients.

The secondary flavour - Use odd little bits of whatever you like, but if you want to make your soup look pretty at the end, use vegetables that are similar colours to each other.

Dried pulses - Dried lentils, beans or chickpeas are great thickeners but just be careful. They can take more cooking than you think, so soak them first and follow instructions on the packet.

Dairy - Cream, cheese, yoghurt or crème fraiche are all excellent options for thickeners or garnishes, but remember they reactive differently depending on how you are cooking. If you're using a hob and want to add cream or cheese then add it with the stock and stir occasionally. However if you're using a slow cooker you are at greater risk of the soup mix splitting and curdling so add it just before you blend the soup.

Have fun improvising with your harvest this Halloween!

Keep a look out for a post closer to Halloween. We have a carved pumpkin alternative for any crafty grown ups out there, but thought you might have read enough for one day... Check back soon...