PUMPKIN SOUP with PARMESAN CRISPS

Pumpkin soup is a no-fail crowd pleaser. I’ve given it a bit of a modern twist with parmesan crisps, which are puffed up by finishing in the microwave. If you don’t have a microwave, cook the chips in the oven for a little longer until they are golden brown and break into shards. If you’re feeling a little retro, serve the soup in scooped out baby pumpkins (squashes).

Preparation Time 15 minutes | Cooking Time 30 minutes | Serves 4

100 ml (3½ fl oz) olive oil

8 French shallots, thinly sliced

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 rosemary sprig

1 butternut pumpkin (squash), peeled, seeds removed, roughly diced

1.5 litres (52 fl oz/6 cups) vegetable stock

200 g (7 oz) parmesan cheese, finely grated

Finely chopped chives, to serve

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium–high heat, add the shallots, garlic and rosemary and sauté for 3–4 minutes until tender and translucent. Add the pumpkin and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7–8 minutes until the pumpkin begins to break down a little. Pour in the stock, season, bring to the boil then reduce the heat to low–medium and simmer for 10–15 minutes until the pumpkin is tender.

Remove the sprig of rosemary, then blend with a hand-held blender until very smooth. Bring the soup back to a simmer, whisk in half the grated parmesan and season to taste.

While the soup is cooking, make the parmesan crisps. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan evenly over the paper and bake for 2 minutes until the cheese is only just melted. Cool on a chopping board for 1 minute, then cut into strips approximately 4 cm (1½ inches) wide. Place the parmesan strips on a microwave-proof plate and cook on full power in the microwave for 90 seconds until they puff up and become crisp.

To serve, ladle the soup into warmed serving bowls, scatter with chives and serve with the parmesan crisps.