Pumpkin Soup With Crunchy Croutons

Ingredients

• 1 pumpkin (about 1.2kg)
• 2 onions
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 apples
• 2 garlic cloves
• 10g fresh sage
• 1 loaf whole wheat bread
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• ½ cup parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. preheat the oven to 180°c. scrub the pumpkin or squash, slice in half and scoop out the seeds, then roughly chop the flesh. peel and slice the onions into wedges. place on a roasting tin and drizzle over 2 tbsp olive oil, then roast for 30 mins.
2. meanwhile, core the apples and slice into wedges, and peel the garlic cloves. when the time’s up, add to the tin with a few sage leaves and roast for a further 10 mins. slice the bread into 2cm chunks and put on a baking tray, then pick over the remaining sage leaves. drizzle with 1 tbsp oil, toss to coat and spread out into a single layer.
3. remove the pumpkin tin from the oven and tip everything into a large pan over a medium heat. add in the vegetable stock and bring to the boil and cook for a couple of mins,add the cheese and mix well. remove from the heat and blitz until smooth.
4. season to perfection, then divide between bowls and top with the croutons and crispy sage.