Butternut Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

• 2kg butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 2 cm squares
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 50ml olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 bunch basil
• 80ml olive oil, extra
• 500ml cream
• 500ml water

Method

Combine the pumpkin, onion, garlic and olive oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.

Line a tray with baking paper and arrange vegetables evenly on the tray. Put the tray in a preheated oven and cook at 180⁰C for 30 minutes, turning vegetables halfway through.

While the pumpkin is roasting remove the basil leaves from the stems. Discard the stems. Keep half of the leaves aside to be added to the soup later. Place the remaining leaves in the bowl of a food processor with the extra olive oil and process until smooth. Set aside.

Put the roast vegetables into a large saucepan. Add the cream and water to the saucepan and place on the cooktop on high heat. Bring to the boil. When the soup is boiling add the basil leaves, remove from the heat and using a hand-held blender, puree the soup until smooth. Season to taste and serve drizzled with basil oil.