Roasted Pumpkin Soup With Blue Cheese Bread

English_Rose's Note:

This rich, thick vegetable soup goes well with freshly-made tasty blue cheese bread.

• Total Time: 26 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 1 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 2/3 lbs pumpkin, peeled, cut into chunks
• 6 large tomatoes, halved
• 1 onion, thickly sliced
• 4 -5 garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)

For the bread

• 8 ounces whole wheat flour
• 8 ounces plain flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• 4 ounces blue cheese, cubed, plus a little extra for crumbling
• 1 1/4-2 cups buttermilk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F
2. Place the pumpkin, tomatoes and onion in a roasting tin, tuck in the rosemary and drizzle on the oil.
3. Roast for 40 minutes until slightly blackened. Leave to cool.
4. Meanwhile, sift the flours into a mixing bowl and add the bicarbonate of soda.
5. Stir in the cheese cubes and enough buttermilk to make a soft dough.
6. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead lightly.
7. Shape into a round loaf and score a cross into the top. Place the loaf on a lightly greased baking sheet.
8. Cook in the preheated oven for 35 minutes until brown.
9. Just before the end of the cooking time, sprinkle on the crumbled cheese.
10. Once the vegetables are cool blend them until smooth with the vegetable stock. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
11. Pour the soup into a saucepan and heat through. Stir in the cream, making sure that the soup does not boil.
12. Serve a bowl of soup with a chunk of the bread.