That’s goodtoknow

To spice up your pumpkin soup, crumble in a pinch of dried chilli when you’re cooking the onion.

Ingredients

• 2tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 700g (1lb 6oz) pumpkin flesh, roughly chopped (can use butternut squash instead)
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1.2 ltrs (2pts) water or vegetable stock
• 200ml (7fl oz) soya light alternative to milk
• 4tbsp soya alternative to cream

For the ‘broomsticks’

• 4 part-baked breadsticks
• 2tbsp olive oil

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes to soften.
2. Add the pumpkin and sweet potato and cook for a couple of mins, then add the water or stock. Season with salt and ground black pepper, cover and bring to the boil, then simmer for 25 mins until the pumpkin and sweet potato are really tender.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Cut the bread in half lengthways, then make several cuts one third of the way up the length to look like broom bristles. Repeat with the other bread, put onto a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 5-8 mins until golden.
4. Stir the soya light into the soup, whiz everything together in blender or processor in batches until smooth. Return to the pan and gently warm through. Pour into bowls and finish with a swirl of soya alternative to cream.

Spider’s web whoopie pies

Or would you rather make an inventive whoopee pie?
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