Happy Halloween – Pumpkin Soup

Halloween inspired pumpkin soup served with pumpkin and cheese muffins –

Soup –

This  soup is warming and low-fat, perfect for Halloween and delicious with pumpkin and cheese muffins!

Ingredients –

Pumpkin, chopped into small blocks
1 onion, chopped finely
1 crushed garlic clove
2 potatoes or sweet potatoes, chopped into small blocks
I tin of butter beans, rinsed and drained
Coriander and Parsley chopped
1.2 ltrs vegetable stock
200ml milk
4tbsp cream, natural yoghurt or mascapone
Pinch of salt and pepper

1. Heat the onion and garlic for a few minutes to soften.
2. Add the pumpkin, butter beans and potato, leave to cook for a couple of mins, then add the stock.
3. Season with coriander, parsley, salt and ground black pepper.
4. Cover, bring to the boil then leave to simmer for 25 mins to make the pumpkin and sweet potato tender.
5. Stir the milk into the soup, whiz in a blender or processor until smooth.
6. Pour the soup back in the pan and warm through. Pour into bowls.
7. To create the cobweb effect pour circles of cream and make lines using a knife from the centre to the outer edges.

Muffins –

These cheese muffins are perfect for dunking in with your pumpkin soup :)

Ingredients –

275g plain flour
1tbsp baking powder
85g light melted butter
1tbsp caster sugar
100g reduced-fat mature Cheddar cheese
275g grated pumpkin
Coriander chopped
2 eggs
175ml semi- skimmed milk
Pumpkin seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC. Sift together the flour and baking powder.
2. Stir the sugar, cheese, pumpkin and coriander into the flour mixture and mix well.
3. Beat together the eggs, milk and melted butter in a different bowl and then pour over the dry ingredients mix. Stir until combined and lumpy.
4. Put 10 paper muffin cases in a muffin tin and fill with the mix. Sprinkle the tops with the seeds.
5. Bake for 20-25 mins until risen and firm. Eat warm with you soup!

And once you’ve emptied the pumpkins you can begin carving in your designs :D