Lydia's Roasted Pumpkin and Parsnip Soup with Crispy bacon frazzles

This recipe serves 6 people

What you will need...

For the Soup                                                                                                                                                                 

x1 small pumpkin with the flesh hollowed out (finally something to do with Halloween pumpkins!

x4 Parsnips washed and peeled

x1 Leek washed and diced

A pint and a half of good quality chicken stock

Small bunch of Rosemary and Thyme chopped finely

x1 Tsp of Curry powder

x1 Tsp of Pimento (smoked Paprika)

100ml of single cream

Salt and pepper to taste

*Optional

x1 Clove of garlic, i would use Elephant Garlic as it has a milder taste and does not over power it

For the Crispy bacon frazzles

x8 Rashers of streaky bacon

x1 Tsp of Demerara sugar

How to make it

1.Start by Sweating the diced leeks in a pan with the butter and a little olive oil to stop the butter burning on a low heat until soft

2.Cut the Pumpkin flesh and Parsnip into cubes and place on a baking tray and cover with a little olive oil and salt and roast for about half an hour at 180 degrees until soft.

3.Add the pumpkin and parsnip to the leeks and cook for a further 2 minutes stirring in a pan.

4.Add the thyme, rosemary,the curry powder, pimento, if you would like to add the garlic at this point dependent on choice this is the time to do it.

5.Add chicken stock to cover the veg then bring to the boil

6.Blend with a hand blender and add the cream plus adjust salt and pepper to taste, if you need to add a little more water to make it to the consistency you like your soup to be at, add more at this point.

7.Meanwhile in a pan fry up the cut up streaky bacon with a little demerara sugar until golden and crispy and then drain off the remaining oil from the pan.

8.Serve the soup up in a bowl topping with the bacon frazzles and a little swirl of cream, oh and of course a big piece of warm crusty bread slathered in butter!

©TheSoulPatch