Rachel Khoo: smashing pumpkins

While some of you may be mourning the end of summer, I don’t think I am the only foodie who is enthused by the changing seasons. Autumn heralds the arrival of some of the most exciting produce of the year, from crunchy apples and juicy pears to rich game and tart damsons. But there’s nothing like the arrival of pumpkins to get you in the mood for wrapping up and eating comfort food. This warming soup is tasty and fun, but you don’t have to use the pumpkin bowl solely as a vessel for soup — it would work a treat for a Parmesan-loaded risotto or even a tasty curry.

Pumpkin soup in pumpkin bowls

Serves 4

1kg pumpkin, peeled

3 onions, peeled

10 cloves garlic (or a bulb), unpeeled

Salt and pepper

4 tbsp rapeseed oil

4 small squashes or pumpkins

4 sprigs of thyme, leaves only

100g cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped

800ml vegetable stock

1 tbsp sumac

Sesame seeds, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Cut the peeled pumpkin into large chunks and quarter the onions. Place both on a baking tray with the garlic cloves, season and drizzle with oil. Roast for about 45 minutes, until very soft and tender.

Take the tops off the small squashes or pumpkins with a sharp knife, then scrape out the seeds and furry bits. If you have a grapefruit knife, this comes in handy for scraping around the inside and creating a good vessel for your soup. Discard the seeds and insides. Drizzle the tops and the cups with a little oil and season inside. Place on another baking tray and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes. Keep an eye out in case they soften too much. Set aside.

When the pumpkin, onion and garlic cloves are soft, remove from the oven. Place the pumpkin and onion in a saucepan. Squeeze the cloves so that the garlic comes out and add to the pot. Add the thyme, chestnuts, vegetable stock and sumac. Bring to a simmer and cook for a further 10 minutes. Blitz with a hand blender. Check the seasoning.

Pour the soup into the pumpkin bowls. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.