Pumpkin and apple soup with spicy hazelnut brittle serves 6-8

At this time of year, hearty soups come into their own. This will keep covered in the fridge for a few days, so is a welcome standby when you don’t have the time or the inclination to cook.

Half a small pumpkin or butternut squash, about 700g, peeled and roughly chopped into 5cm chunks 2 red onions, peeled and quartered 4 apples, peeled, cored and chopped into small chunks 3 sticks celery, chopped into small chunks 6 cloves garlic Olive oil, to drizzle Salt and freshly ground black pepper Leaves of ½ medium bunch thyme

1 litre good-quality chicken stock

For the brittle

1 tsp of fennel seeds 1 tbsp olive oil

200g golden caster sugar

50g hazelnuts, crushed

½ tsp chilli flakes 2 tsp sea salt

Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Put the pumpkin a large roasting tin with the onions, apples and celery. Bash the garlic cloves in their skins and add to the tin. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile make the brittle. In a large dry frying pan, toast the fennel seeds for 30 seconds, then roughly bash with a pestle and mortar. Lightly oil a large sheet of baking paper and set to one side.

Put the sugar and 2 tbsp water in the frying pan over a medium heat. Stay with the pan while it bubbles and swish it around now and then. After about 10 minutes the sugar will start to turn into a thick golden caramel. Once this happens, tip it onto the oiled paper. Sprinkle over the fennel seeds, hazelnuts, chilli and sea salt and set aside to harden.

After the vegetables have roasted for 20 minutes, toss them together well and add the thyme leaves. Return to the oven to roast for a further 20 minutes.

Once the vegetables are cooked and golden, transfer to a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the stock, blend with a hand blender until smooth and heat through. Smash the brittle and serve the soup with pieces of brittle on top.