Happy Halloween friends! It’s starting to feel really autumnal, isn’t it? And just in time for the 31st of October. The clocks have been turned back (or will soon be, depending on where you live), days are getting shorter, leaves are starting to litter the sidewalks and nights are on the chilly side. The season of cozy and warming foods is truly upon us now, and in the spirit of fall and Halloween I thought I’d share a new seasonal favourite soup recipe with you, featuring – you guessed it – pumpkin/winter squash!
This soup is super easy to make and is so satisfying. It’s really warming and gets some nice heat from the harissa paste. The concept is very simple: peel and chop up some winter squash, toss it in olive oil, harissa paste, salt and pepper and roast it in the oven for a good half hour. The roasted squash gets cooked up with some onions, garlic, coconut milk and veggie broth and a bit more harissa paste, and then the whole thing gets blended until smooth. All these great things come together to make this magical soup that warms you from the inside out. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have been lately!
Onto some of my favourite things from the month of October. Here’s a short and sweet list of some of my top picks – I hope it brings you some inspiration for the new month ahead!
- Making this lentil salad and this sweet potato miso bowl
- Starting this novel
- Walking from Box Hill to Leatherhead last weekend
- Admiring seasonal produce at my local market
- Watching the new season of Stranger Things (finally!!)
- Making these awesome sweet treats
-xo KA
Harissa pumpkin soup
This soup is super easy to make and comes together quickly with relatively few ingredients. My recipe calls for light coconut milk, but regular coconut milk works just fine too. If you’re not so keen on spice, start with a little harissa paste and work your way up.
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp harissa paste, divided
- 2 medium winter squashes such as pumpkin or butternut squash (about 1.5 kg), peeled and roughly chopped into 2 inch pieces
- 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 medium onions, small dice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 400 mL | 14 oz can light coconut milk
- 2 big squeezes lemon juice
- To serve: toasted pumpkin seeds, a drizzle of olive oil, fresh bread or crackers topped with avocado and hemp seeds
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius | 390 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped butternut squash with 2 tbsp harissa paste, 2 tbsp olive oil, a generous pinch of sea salt and some pepper. Toss to coat and then spread the squash out onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the squash is tender.
When the squash is halfway done baking, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy soup pot. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two until fragrant. Add the cooked butternut squash and toss to combine. Next add the can of coconut milk, the vegetable broth, the remaining 1 tbsp of harissa paste and a pinch of sea salt. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for a further 15-20 minutes.
Once the soup is done cooking, use an immersion blender (or a regular blender, working in batches) to blend the soup until completely smooth. Season with 2 good squeezes of lemon juice, then taste the soup and add more salt, pepper or lemon juice if you think it needs it.
Serve the soup piping hot topped with toasted pumpkin seeds (you can use the seeds from the pumpkin for this recipe – just toss them in a bit of oil and season them with salt, and add them to the oven in a small baking tray for the last 10-15 minutes while you cook your pumpkin), a drizzle of olive oil, and some bread or crackers topped with avocado and hemp seeds.
Serves 6-8 and keeps well in the fridge for a few days.
Beloved Kitchen 
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