You may be under the impression that I only ever eat cake. And sweet breakfast. And while I do love both these things, I actually try not to eat them too much. Well, obviously I eat breakfast, but it’s usually more the homemade granola with kefir kind (oh man, I’m sorry for how that sounds!). Life is not all pancakes and whipped cream, and thank heavens for that.

I love making and eating savoury food too, and like nothing more than a plate of veggies done in a tasty way. We live a pretty much vegetarian existence in our house, with some fish added in for good measure. Every so often we have a piece of meat, but as only two of us eat meat, this isn’t very often.

And maybe because it is Halloween, I’m thinking pumpkins. The yummy kind, not the scary kind.

Here is a super simple Pumpkin Soup recipe that is easy enough to whip up in time for lunch. The spiced almonds and roasted cauliflower make it a meal and something altogether delicious.

Pumpkin Soup with Roasted Cauliflower and Spiced Almonds

Serves 2 or 3 hungry people

500g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and chopped
1 large carrot, roughly chopped
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, skins removed
drizzle of olive oil

Pop all of the ingredients into a heavy bottomed saucepan, and sauté until they catch a little bit of golden colour. No need to chop the garlic, just throw it in whole; give it a crush with the back of a knife to release it’s superpowers. Once everything has a touch of colour, add enough liquid to barely cover the veggies. Homemade stock is awesome, but if you’re keeping life simple then water will do just fine. You’ll be getting an extra kick of flavour from your toppings. Simmer for around 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Give it all a blitz in a blender or with a stick blender directly in the saucepan until super smooth.

Spiced Almonds

60g almonds
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
drizzle of olive oil
pinch of salt

In a small bowl toss the almonds with the spices and olive oil. Tip into a small baking tray and bake at 180° C for 10 mins, giving the almonds a toss half way through.

Roasted Cauliflower

Take 500g cauliflower and give it a drizzle of olive oil, then roast at 180° C for 20 mins, or until burnished, a little bit caramelised and tender.

Ladle the soup into deep bowls and then top with the cauliflower and the almonds, making sure to scrape some spices from the bottom of the tray. x