Textured Pumpkin Soup

This recipe is the perfect way to use a whole pumpkin and tasty young pumpkin leaves for an autumn afternoon. We are going to use the whole pumpkin for this recipe. We are also going to use young pumpkin leaves from our pumpkin vine. Pumpkin leaves are edible and packed with vitamins and minerals.

Young leaves are the best part to use in the cooking. I'm using freshly harvested pumpkin from our garden. We are using fresh chickpeas for this recipe. Soak 400 gm of chickpea overnight. Cooked chickpeas until soft. 400 gm dry chickpea will make 800 gm of cooked chickpeas.

Method:

Step one roast pumpkin.

• Cut pumpkin in half. Remove seeds from both sides.

• Cut half of the pumpkin into small pieces the other half cut into wedges.

• Place your pumpkin wedges into a baking tray. Sprinkle it with salt and a pinch of

sumac. Drizzle pumpkin wedges with olive oil.

• Preheat oven 180-degree fan forced.

• Cook for 25-30 minutes depending on thickness, we are looking for dark edges.

Step two making pumpkin puree.

• Slice 5-6 shallots and garlic cloves

• Add oil to a medium soup pot.

• Add shallots to the pot fried until golden brown.

• Add pumpkin pieces, garlic, zest of one lemon and sprig of rosemary to the pot.

• Add water to the pot and add 400 gm of chickpeas to the mix.

• Cook until soft use stick blender to make puree consistency.

• Add salt to taste.

Step three sautéed pumpkin leaves with chickpeas and chilli.

• Medium heated pan with oil and 5-6 slice shallots, sauté until golden brown.

• Add 400 gm chickpeas and pumpkin leaves to the pan.

• Add salt to taste.

• Cook until all the leaves are wilted.

• Add juice of one lemon.

Step four combined three elements together and present our dish.

• We need a large serving bowl to serve this dish.

• Place your pumpkin puree in the serving bowl.

• Place roasted pumpkin wedges in the bowl.

• Add sauteed leaves and chickpeas on the top. Garnish with sliced red chillies and

lemon slice.

Recommended Equipment:

Regular kitchen stove top

gas or electric oven

2-3 bowls

Measuring spoon and jug

Tongs

Kitchen towels

one large soup pot

one large frying pan

one oven tray

chef knife

microplane or grater

Chopping board

foil or baking paper

stick blender or food processor

large serving bowl

Ingredients:

1 whole pumpkin (600gm to 1kg)

300 gm of young pumpkins leaves

10-12 pieces shallots

2 Lemon

800 gm chickpeas

2 sprigs of rosemary

4 garlic cloves

2-3 fresh red chilli

60 ml of olive oil

2 gm sumac

salt to taste