Roasted Pumpkin, Chorizo & Thyme Soup Served With a Feta, Pumpkin Red Onion Bread!

Yesterday, I made this very tasty soup. I served this tasty soup with a savoury pumpkin & feta bread. You can’t go wrong with this combination. It is like a meal in itself. Lovely to spread some good real butter on the pumpkin & feta slices or toast them, yum! When the bread comes out of the oven, it smells ooh so delicious all over the house!!!

Recipe:

For the soup: For 6 people

For 1 large bread: For 13 people, each 1 thicker slice

Ingredients:

1.For the feta & pumpkin bread:

400 gr pumpkin flesh, peeled, deseeded, threads cut out & cut roughly into smaller chunks

500 gr organic flour

125 ml warm water

125 ml of a fruity extra virgin olive oil ( evoo )

125 ml of milk/ I used semi- skimmed milk

1 sachet of dried yeast/ In Belgium that is 7 gr

1 red onion, peeled & cut into little pieces

2 medium free – range eggs, shaken loose with a fork

1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary, washed, cleaned, pad dry on kitchen paper & cut into little pieces

1 + ½ teaspoon of sea salt flakes, crushed/ I used Maldon sea salt

1 teaspoon of fine sugar / I used coconut blossom sugar

150 gr of sheep’s feta, pad dry on kitchen paper, sliced & cut into little pieces

Extra needed: a silicone bread tin

2. For the soup:

1 white onion: peeled & cut into little pieces

3 cloves of fresh garlic: peeled & finely cut up

1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves: rinsed, pad dry on kitchen paper & stalks removed

A spicy cooking chorizo: 150 gr, cut into chunks or into slices, then cut into strips

600 gr fresh pumpkin, peeled, seeds, threads removed & cut into 1 to 2 cm chunks

1500 ml of a good vegetable stock

1 large potato, peeled & cut up into little chunks

Maldon sea salt

Freshly grinded black pepper

Unrefined coconut oil

Step 1:

To make the pumpkin & feta bread:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350 F) for 10 minutes. I use a fan oven. Place the pumpkin chunks in an oven tray & place in the hot oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool down.

2. Take a large bowl & add the dried yeast. Add the warm water & mix well. Place a clean towel over the top of the bowl & place in a warm place for about 15 minutes until the mix begins to bubble.

3. In another bowl, add the red onion pieces, add the evoo, the milk, de 2 mixed eggs, the rosemary pieces, the sea salt & the sugar too. Add some grinds of freshly grinded black pepper to add some punch!

4. Take a large bowl, add the flour, the yeast mix & the onion mix. Mix well. If necessary, flour your hands & knead until it forms an elastic dough. If you need to, add some extra flour, if the dough is too wet. I needed to do that. Place the dough in the bowl, place a clean towel over the top & place into the warm oven with the door closed, to double in size. This will take 1 and ½ hour.

5. Push the dough in a bit & add the crumbled feta pieces in it, all over the dough. Do the same with the roasted pumpkin pieces. Knead a bit. Place the dough in the silicone bread tin. You don’t need to grease silicon bread tin. Place on an oven rack for stability & bake in the centre of the oven for about 50 minutes in total. The first 20 minutes on 180°C (350 F) & then reduce the temperature to 160°C (320 F) for 30 minutes. The dough will rise & rise & will be browned on top. After 50 minutes, check with a dough pin, to see if it is ready. Place on a wire rack. Leave for about 10 minutes in the bread pan, then take it out & place on a wire rack. Let it cool off a bit or let it cool down completely. This is lovely to savour when it is still a bit warm or is completely cooled down with some good butter on it & is fabulous with this soup.

Step 2:

To make the roasted pumpkin, chorizo & thyme soup:

1. Take a large oven tin & place the pumpkin chunks in 1 layer in it. Scatter the chorizo & the thyme pieces all over it. Add the onion & garlic pieces. Season with Maldon sea salt & grinds of black pepper. Dot with unrefined coconut oil knobs. Place in the centre of the oven & roast for 15 to 20 minutes on 200°C ( 392 F ). When ready, take out of the oven & set aside.

2. Take a large cooking pot & add a bit of coconut oil. Heat up & add the chorizo oven mix to the pot. Add the potato pieces. Fry for about 5 to 8 minutes.

3. Now, add the stock. Cook for about 10 minutes until the potato pieces are cooked through. Mix or blend the soup for ¾ so that there are pieces of chorizo floating in the soup. Taste the soup. It should taste divine, if not add some grinds of black pepper.

To serve: Take a soup bowl & add the hot soup. Slice a thick slice of this savoury bread & smear it with butter or minarine & enjoy this festive meal. After the soup has been eaten, this bread is great enjoyed with a good red wine, like Lineman’s, Bin 50 Shiraz, from Australia! This bread is also yummy toasted & enjoyed with a good autumnal salad &/or with a cheese platter & this tasty wine, of course!

You also can find this tasty combined recipe on my blog here: http://sophiesfoodiefiles.wordpress.com/2011/10/17/roasted-pumpkin-thyme-chorizo-soup-served-with-a-home-made-savoury-pumpkin-feta-bread/