Pumpkin Soup with Sage & Walnut Pesto (Vegan, Gluten Free)

Here in London, it’s cold and raining, winter is continuing strong through February so it’s ideal weather for soup. Warming and soothing, it’s a dash I’d typically reach for during colder weather and it’s healthy too!

I don’t see a lot of pumpkin over here. It’s a very American veg that has been slowly creeping over along with the ever-popular pumpkin spice everything. I’ve been working out what to do with it and this soup has been incredibly popular. Paired with some delightfully autumnal sage and walnut pesto, this soup is incredibly easy but will warm you through after a cold day.

Leftovers

This soup will store in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container and freezes well. If you have any pesto left over, freeze it into portions using a ice cube tray and you can grab a block as you need it. It pairs well with wintery salads and roasted veg.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the Soup:

1.2kg Pumpkin
1/2 Garlic Bulb
1 Large Onion, chopped
1tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp Dried Sage
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Chilli Flakes
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
1ltr Vegetable Stock
400ml Coconut milk
Salt & Pepper to taste

For the Sage & Walnut Pesto:

1/2 Head of Garlic
45g Fresh Sage
45g Walnuts
80ml Extra Virgin Olive OIl
1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
2tbsp Fresh Parsely, chopped
1tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2tsp Chilli Flakes
1/2tsp Salt

Directions

Making the soup: Preheat the oven to 200 C. Start by carving your pumpkin into wedges, removing the seeds and peeling. Toss in a little oil and roast in the oven for 45min-1 hour, or until the pumpkin has softened and started to brown around the edges. At the same time, cut the top off the garlic bulb (assuming you’re making the pesto with the soup, you’ll need a whole bulb for both), and drizzle in a little oil before wrapping in foil for 45mins. Mash the pumpkin once done and place to one side.

Place your favourite soup pan on a medium-high heat with a touch of oil. Sautee the onion till softened and add in the dried herbs and spices. Continue cooking for another minute or so, until the spices are roasted the mix smells aromatic. Deglaze the pan well with a touch of stock before squeezing the garlic out of it’s skins into the pot and adding in the rest of the ingredients, including the roasted pumpkin. Bring to a light boil, partially cover, and simmer for 15 minutes

Making the pesto: Make sure you’ve roasted the garlic before you begin – see the garlic notes above for guidance if you haven’t yet. I like to make my pesto in a mini food processor but if you haven’t got one, you can go traditional and use a mortar and pestle. Trim the sage leave and discard any stems, these can be tough and as such are unsuited for raw dishes like pesto. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the food processor along with the rest of the pesto. Blend until you have a tasty paste, tasting and adjusting seasoning, oil, or herb levels until you’re happy with it. Store in the fridge until ready for use.

When the soup has finished simmering, blend with an immersion blender until smooth and silky. Season to taste before serving with a healthy spoon of pesto and some crusty bread.

Notes

Can’t find pumpkin? any type of squash like butternut makes a really god substitute. If you can, try to use younger, smaller sage leaves as larger leaves can be a little tough. Sage is also incredibly easy to grow so if you keep a pot in your garden you’ll have a great wintery herb to hand.

Allergy Notes; This is naturally vegan and gluten free but the pesto uses walnuts so may not be suitable if you suffer from a nut allergy. substitute the walnuts with an equal quantity of roasted pumpkin seeds for a tasty, zero waste alternative!

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