Roasted butternut pumpkin and almond soup

SERVES 4 PREP AND COOK TIME 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES

1.2kg butternut pumpkin, peeled, cut into large wedges ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup (60ml) verjuice 1 medium (150g) brown onion, chopped coarsely 4 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely 1.5 litres (6 cups) vegetable or chicken stock 1 cup (80g) flaked almonds, roasted (see Maggie’s tip, previous page) ½ cup (125g) mascarpone ¼ cup (60ml) cream extra virgin olive oil, extra, to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 240°C (220°C fan-forced). Line a shallow-sided oven tray with baking paper. 2 Place the pumpkin on the prepared tray. Drizzle over half of the oil and toss to coat the pumpkin well. Roast pumpkin for 25 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and drizzle the pumpkin with the verjuice. Roast the pumpkin for a further 10 minutes. The pumpkin should be slightly caramelised and most of the verjuice should be evaporated. 3 Meanwhile, place a large saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the remaining oil and onion; cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes or until soft. Add garlic; cook, stirring, for another 3-4 minutes. 4 Pour in the stock and add the roasted pieces of pumpkin. Bring to a rapid

simmer, then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes. 5 Stir in ¾ cup of the roasted almonds and the mascarpone. Remove from the heat and blend with a stick blender until smooth (or stand for 10 minutes before carefully pouring into a jug blender and purée until smooth). 6 Return the soup to the pan and stir over medium heat until hot; season to taste. 7 Serve soup in warmed bowls; drizzle with cream and extra oil. Sprinkle with the remaining roasted almonds.

Suitable to freeze at the end of Step 5. Not suitable to microwave.