Pumpkin, sweet potato and lentil soup

To appease my younger son and just mark the occasion, I carved a pumpkin yesterday. It is sitting now on the shelf in the entrance hall, surrounded by smaller pumpkins.

Have you been carving a pumpkin for tonight?
Rather than waste the scooped insides of the pumpkin, use them in cooking.

Whip up an easy soup with pumpkin and any other orange-coloured veg and fruit and pulses - sweet potato, butternut squash, lentils, orange, carrots. Use coconut oil, or flavoured olive oil, cream or coconut milk, there are so many different variations of the same basic soup. And again, vary spices - chilli, garlic, turmeric, nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander, garam masala.

Pumpkins for carving available in the shops tend to be rather bland in taste, and need a pick up with a good seasoning. I don't mean those pretty turban squashes which are gorgeous to look at, and taste lovely, but not really suitable for carving faces.

Pumpkin, sweet potato, butternut squash and lentil soup
Ingredients:
1/2 big onion, finely chopped
2tbsp coconut oil with turmeric
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 carrot
a pinch of turmeric
a pinch of ground ginger
3tbsp red lentils
350g cubed sweet potato and butternut squash mix
350g pumpkin
salt

Finely chop the onion and fry it with the coconut oil for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the chilli, chopped carrot and spices, and fry for another 3-4 minutes.
In a big pan put the lentils with the fried onion, cubed sweet potato and butternut squash mix, carrot, pumpkin, season with salt, pour enough water to cover all the vegetables and bring to boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 35+ minutes, until all the vegetables are soft.
Blitz it with a hand blender. If the soup consistency is too thick, add a bit of boiled water.
Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt, soured cream or pour single cream.
For a vegan version - add whichever plant-based yogurt you fancy.

If the idea of the pumpkin soup doesn't appeal to you, Steve Smith, Head chef at Bohemia offers top tips for taking advantage of pumpkin season.

The arrival of autumn means one thing - pumpkins will be rolled out in their thousands to supermarkets isles across the country. If you've had enough of carving Halloween faces into the winter squash, why not take advantage of the gloriously low pumpkin prices and make use of that fibre-rich flesh?
Pick up a pumpkin that feels heavy for its size, with a smooth, firm skin and get cooking!

1. Pumpkin Pie
If we can thank Americans for introducing us to a dessert, it's Pumpkin pie. Pumpkin Pie makes a delectable autumn treat and is served best with a dollop of fresh cream on top. For optimum results, spend an extra hour in the kitchen, making your own crust - it will be worth it!

2. Pumpkin Pancakes
Ditch the usual pancakes in favour of the pumpkin variety. Simply puree a cup of pumpkin and mix together with buttermilk along with the usual ingredients to create a stack of perfectly fluffy pumpkin cakes.

3. Pumpkin Curry
Combine pumpkin with chick peas and coconut for a delicious dinner for the whole family.
Make this dish some time ahead of serving so that all the wonderful flavours can fully develop.

4. Pumpkin risotto
This resourceful take on risotto is a great dinner party dish. The pumpkin pieces add texture and substance to the popular rice dish, making it the ultimate autumn comfort food to enjoy on a cosy winter night.

5. Pumpkin loaf
This healthy snack is the perfect alternative to a carb-heavy loaf cake. For those with a sweet tooth, a thick layer of cream cheese icing will take your loaf from healthy to heavenly in minutes.

These tasty tips and recipe ideas come from the Head chef at Bohemia, which last September was awarded 5AA rosettes for the second year in a row. It now holds the record for being the first restaurant in the Channel Islands to receive this accolade.
Bohemia was also ranked the 14th best restaurant in the whole of the UK in the Good Food Guide 2019 and at number 57 in Square Meals Top 100 Best Restaurants 2018.