A blend of pumpkin roasted with cumin, sage and granny smith apples....served with crisp bacon pieces, crumbled goat's cheese and toasted pepitas...sounds like the perfect autumn soup to me!

One of Luke's colleagues gave him a home grown pumpkin last week...and every time I saw it perched on the kitchen bench, I played with ideas of what to make. Then I remembered I'd bookmarked a Katie Quinn Davies recipe a little while ago...a recipe that took your average pumpkin soup recipe to another level...decision made.

I spent an afternoon shuffling around the kitchen in my Uggs, listening to a book, checking on the roasting of the pumpkin...peeling apples...and ducking into the laundry every now and then to get another load of washing underway. Riley whiled away his time snoring in the corner, then commenced Bacon Watch after the sound of sizzling met his oversized ears..and finally took cover elsewhere when the Vitamix made an appearance. Slow weekend afternoons...is there any better antidote for Monday-Friday? :)

The Perfect Autumn Pumpkin Soup
(from What Katie Ate // Katie Quinn Davies // my food stylist hero)
Serves 4

1kg pumpkin, peeled, seeds removed, cut into 3cm pieces
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 tsp chopped sage leaves
70ml olive oil
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 3cm pieces
250g rindless free-range bacon rashers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1.25L (5 cups) free-range chicken stock
120g goat’s cheese
Lightly toasted pumpkin seeds a.k.a. pepitas...(I used a seed mix containing pepitas), to serve

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180˚C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the pumpkin, cumin, sage and 2 tbs oil in a large bowl and season, then toss to combine. Tip onto the tray, arrange in a single layer and roast for 10-15 minutes. Add apple and cook for a further 10 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, heat another 2 tsp oil in a frypan over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until golden. Set aside to drain on paper towel. Heat the remaining 1 tbs oil in the frypan. Add the onion, garlic and a pinch of salt, then cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until softened. Transfer to a blender with pumpkin mixture, 2 cups (500ml) stock and half the cheese, then whiz until smooth. Return to pan with remaining 3 cups (750ml) stock. Cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until reduced slightly. Season. To serve, sprinkle bacon, seeds and remaining goat’s cheese over soup.

To make this a vegetarian dish simply omit the bacon.

Thanks Katie, delicious as always! :)

Do you have a favourite autumn recipe to warm you down to your toes?

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