Ingredients

• 50g/2oz butter
• 1 onion
• peeled
• chopped
• 1kg/2lb 2oz pumpkin
• peeled
• seeds removed and reserved
• flesh cubed
• 800ml/1 pint 9fl oz hot vegetable stock
• 110g/4oz parmesan
• or a similar vegetarian hard cheese
• (include the cheese rind if desired)
• roughly chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 25g/1oz pumpkin seeds (reserved from soup
• see above)
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 tsp olive oil
• plus extra for drizzling
• 25g/1oz pumpkin
• cut into 0.5cm/¼in cubes
• 110g/4oz fresh ceps
• washed thoroughly
• cut into 1.5cm/¾in cubes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 25g/1oz parmesan (or a similar vegetarian hard cheese)
• cut into 0.5cm/¼in cubes

Directions

• Heat a large frying pan over a low to medium heat. When the pan is hot
• add the butter and onion and fry gently for 8-10 minutes
• or until softened but not coloured.
• Increase the heat to medium
• add the diced pumpkin and continue to fry
• stirring well
• for 2-3 minutes.
• Pour the hot vegetable stock over the pumpkin mixture and bring to the boil. Stir in the parmesan
• then return the mixture to a simmer and continue to simmer for a further 8-10 minutes. Season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Transfer batches of the mixture to a food processor and blend to a smooth purée. Repeat the process until all of the mixture has been blended to a purée.
• Strain the soup mixture through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan and heat until warmed through.
• Meanwhile
• for the garnish
• heat a frying pan over a high heat until hot. Add the pumpkin seeds and dry fry until toasted.
• Add the vegetable oil and continue to fry the seeds for 4-5 minutes
• shaking the pan regularly
• until golden-brown.
• Heat one teaspoon of the olive oil in a separate frying pan over a medium heat. Add the diced pumpkin and fry for 1-2 minutes
• or until just softened. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Return the frying pan used to cook the pumpkin to the heat and add the remaining two teaspoons of olive oil. When the oil is hot
• add the ceps and fry for 2-3 minutes
• or until golden-brown. Season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the chives until well combined.
• To serve
• ladle the warm soup into four bowls. Sprinkle over a pinch of each of the cooked pumpkin
• diced parmesan and ceps. Finish with the toasted pumpkin seeds
• then drizzle over a little olive oil.