Scary snot and sinew soup aka pumpkin soup with melting cheese and bacon

Wanting to get in the Halloween spirit? Try this easy recipe for a spooky Pumpkin soup. The non-carnivorous can skip out on the bacon.

Ingredients:

A Pumpkin — judge size according to guests
A large onion — two if a big pumpkin
Chicken or vegetable stock
Gruyère cheese
Bacon lardons or Pancetta — optional

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

2. Slice your pumpkin into wedges and remove seeds, painting each side of the flesh with a bit of oil. Tip: try sesame or nut oil for an added smokiness. Cook in oven for 30–40 minutes or until the flesh is soft.

3. In the mean time: Fry onions in a frying pan with a little oil or butter till soft, keeping the heat relatively low so they don’t brown.

4. Fry up your bacon lardons. Feel free to preserve a bit of the oil to add to the soup later for extra flavour.

5. Dice up your gruyère, about 1cm cubed.

6. When your pumpkin has roasted, scoop the flesh into a pan with your stock and onions, cover and leave on the hob for 20 minutes. The flesh should decompose somewhat, so check occasionally to avoid sticking.

7. Blend the pumpkin mixture or push through a sieve into a bowl if you have the energy, then return to the pan to reheat. Add your bacon ‘sinew’ and it’s juices if desired.

8. Serve the soup into bowls, before scattering the gruyère ‘snot blobs’, which with the heat of the soup should go stringy round the edges. Season with pepper and serve with some crusty bread.

Extra serving options: Add a swirl of double or sour cream, or some nutmeg if you fancy getting a little festive. If you have some soup left over, let it cool before freezing.

Bone-appétit!