The secret of good soup is good stock. I make stock in a slow cooker by simmering bones and vegetables left over from roast dinners just covered with boiling water for a few hours. I strain it and freeze it until I need it
. There are lots of pumpkins around at the moment so you might want to try mini pumpkin soup too. If you want to get more from your slow cooker, Joan Bishop’s New Zealand Crockpot and Slow Cookbook may help.
500ml stock
medium pumpkin, de-seeded, peeled and cut into pieces
2 medium onions, skinned and roughly chopped.
2 teaspoons each of cumin seeds and coriander seeds, toasted in the oven for five minutes
1 small can coconut cream (165 ml)
salt and pepper to taste
freshly grated nutmeg, chopped fresh coriander and a dollop of greek yoghurt to serve.
Put the stock, pumpkin, onion, coriander, cumin and coconut cream in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours. Blend together well with a stick-blender or in a food processor. Adjust the seasoning and add some boiling water if it’s thicker than you like. Serve topped with freshly grated nutmeg, chopped coriander leaves and a dollop of greek yoghurt.
