Pumpkin, Cumin and Chilli Soup

This soup will be the star of your fall dinner table when you serve it up using the pumpkin as a bowl. Depending on how spicy you'd like it to be, you can either de-seed the chilli or throw it all in the soup.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1  large pumpkin, about 2 kg
• 2  tablespoons butter or 2  tablespoons  oil, for frying
• 1  tablespoon cumin seed
• 2  medium onions, finely chopped
• 1  red chile, finely sliced
• 1  teaspoon caster sugar
• 1  liter  hot  vegetable stock or 1  liter  chicken stock
•  salt
• 4  tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
• 4  teaspoons olive oil, for drizzling

Directions

1. Slice the top off the pumpkin and set it aside.
2. Later it will be the lid for your pumpkin-pot serving bowl.
3. Use your hands to pull out all the strings and seeds in the centre of the pumpkin.
4. You can, if you like, save the seeds for roasting.
5. Now use a spoon to scoop out as much of the flesh as you can, but be careful not to break through the shell of the pumpkin.
6. Remember, you want to use it as a bowl afterwards.
7. Roughly chop the pumpkin flesh and then heat the oil or butter in a big pot.
8. Throw in the cumin seeds and onion, frying and stirring occasionally until the onion becomes translucent.
9. Add the chilli and sugar and stir well, then throw in the hot stock and pumpkin flesh.
10. Simmer until the pumpkin is soft enough to purée.
11. Add salt to taste and then blitz until smooth.
12. Add the cream, if desired, and pour into the pumpkin shell.
13. Make patterns on the surface by drizzling over the oil.
14. Serve immediately.