Nourishing Spiced Pumpkin Soup

(Adapted from The Ayurveda Kitchen by Anne Heigham)

Pumpkin is packed with B vitamins, vitamins A and C, and minerals, particularly potassium. It is perfect for consumption in the autumn, as it combats the drying properties of the autumnal winds and any accumulation of heat in the body following a long summer. The spices combined with the pumpkin in this dish complement its flavour well and help to make the properties of the pumpkin more bioavailable.  If pumpkin is not available, you can swap it for butternut squash.

Serves: 2-3

Preparation time 7 minutes

Cooking time 22 minutes

Ingredients

1 tbs olive oil or ghee

¼ tsp of black pepper

¼ tsp of ground coriander

¼ tsp of ground cumin

¼ tsp cinnamon

1 inch piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

2 celery stick, chopped

1 leek, chopped

800g (12oz) pumpkin, peeled and roughly chopped

1 litre (16fl oz) hot vegetable stock (gluten free if possible)

Method

Heat the oil or ghee in a large saucepan over a low heat. Add the spices and ginger and fry for 1-2 minutes, until the spices release their aromas, then stir in the celery, leek, pumpkin and vegetable stock. Simmer for 20 minutes, until the pumpkin is soft. Take the pan off the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly, then blitz with a handheld blender or transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, carefully mash the soup by hand with a potato rasher. Transfer to a bowl and swirl in ½ tsp of ghee to garnish (optional).