pumpkin and swede soup

In my cold-weather quest to eat filling foods at lunchtime, I made this soup to bring along with a salad each day. It takes about 45 minutes to make, though much of that time, the soup can be left to simmer. You don’t have to use swede too: I did only because I had some left over from bangers and mash.

Pumpkin and swede soup
(makes 3-4 servings)

1 medium pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and chopped
100 g swede, chopped
1 bay leaf
1.5 litres of hot vegetable stock
2 tsp olive oil
Any dried spices you like – this time I used thyme and rosemary
Salt and pepper

Throw the pumpkin and swede into a large pot with the olive oil. Mix. Bring the heat to medium high and wait until there’s a bit of a sizzle. Add the bay leaf and the spices.

Add the stock and bring the pot to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and allow to bubble away for about 30 minutes (or longer if you like).

Remove the bay leaf and use a hand blender to puree the soup. Serve or allow to cool and freeze in batches. Perfect for a lunch to take to work (provided you have a microwave).