A warming pumpkin and carrot soup with saffron, gentle spice, and a swirl of coconut milk. Serve small bowls as a starter or add bread for a simple seasonal lunch.
Ingredients
¼ cup ghee
1 leek, washed well and chopped
2 pounds pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
⅛ teaspoon saffron threads
2 carrots, chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ cup coconut milk, for serving
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds, for serving
Method
Melt the ghee in a large saucepan over gentle heat. Add the leek and saffron and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leek is tender.
Add the vinegar, pumpkin, carrots, stock, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer.
Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the pumpkin and carrots are soft enough to blend. Larger pieces may take longer.
Remove from the heat. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. If using a countertop blender, let the soup cool first, work in small batches, and follow the manufacturer’s directions for blending warm liquids; never seal steaming soup in a closed blender.
Return the soup to the pan, warm gently, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle into bowls, swirl in the coconut milk, and scatter over the toasted pumpkin seeds.