Moroccan Pumpkin Soup with Prawns & Chickpeas By Dish Magazine
I love Dish Magazine. I think their recipes are gorgeous and their food styling beautiful. Their dishes are always delicious and gauranteed to please those looking for both mid-week and weekend inspiration. It's truely a treat when each new issue of Dish hits the stands.
I have the perfect soup recipe that I came across in the 2013 August/September issue of Dish. It's such a memorable soup that I have made it over and over again. A creamy pumpkin soup topped with Moroccan spiced prawns and chickpeas - it is absolutely incredible. I have served it to a hungry builder for dinner with some grainy toast and he loved it so you know it must be good! I often make the pumpkin soup base and then freeze it so that all I have to do is cook the spiced prawns and chickpeas and 10 minutes later, I have a steaming hearty dinner. Perfect for busy week nights.
Winter is the time of year where we can hibernate indoors, cosy up in oversized track pants with warming bowls of deliciousness and a good book and feel nothing but pleasure enjoying this slower pace of life. For a short time of the year when the seasons allow, we can enjoy Winter and the soothing food it brings. This soup is winter fare at it's best and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Thank you Dish Magazine!
Moroccan Pumpkin Soup with Prawns and Chickpeas
Recipe from the 2013 August/September Dish Magazine
Serves 4-6
1.5 kg of pumpkin, peeled and seeds removed
4 Tbspn olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, grated
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsps Moroccan spice mix
1 Tbspn grated fresh ginger
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
To assemble:
2 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained & rinsed
16 raw prawns, tail on
2 Tbspn olive oil
2 tsp Moroccan spice mix
Palin yoghurt
Fresh coriander
Preheat the oven to 180'C. Using a vegetable peeler, shave 24 long strips off the pumpkin and set them aside.
Cut the remaining pumpkin into small chunks and place on a baking tray. Toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season well. Roast for about 20 minutes or until tender, turning once. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, carrot and cinnamon stick with a good pinch of salt. Cover and cook for ten minutes until soft, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water if needed.
Add the garlic, spice mix and the ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the roasted pumpkin and the stock and season. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes,
Remove the cinnamon stick and in batches blend the soup in a food processor until smooth. Tip back into the saucepan and add one tin of the chickpeas and heat until hot.
Place the strips of pumpkin on a baking tray and cook 4-6 minutes until they look dry and crispy, but don't let them get too brown. Place on a cooling rack.
To serve: Heat the olive oil in a large pan and cook the chickpeas with 1 teaspoon of the spice mix until golden. Use a slotted spoon to trnasfer them to a bowl. Add the prawns to the same pan and sprinkle with the remaining spice mix and a little salt and cook until golden and just cooked through, then add to the chickpeas.
To serve: Divide the soup between bowls and top with the prawns, chickpeas and the pumpkin chips. Drizzle with a little yoghurt, freshly ground pepper and coriander.
Enjoy!
Gluten-free (check stock and Morocaan spice mix to make sure they are gluten-free)
