Pumpkin cream soup with cheese

Ingredients

• 1 piece of pumpkin
• 1 large carrot
• 1–2 potatoes
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 100g processed cheese Dzintars or cream cheese
• small piece of fresh ginger, grated
• pinch of ground chilli
• 1 bay leaf
• 200ml double cream or full-fat milk
• butter and/or vegetable oil for frying
• salt

To serve

• toasted white bread with cheese
• pumpkin seeds or seed mix for sprinkling

Method

1. Peel the vegetables. Slice the onion and garlic, and cut the carrot, pumpkin and potatoes into large pieces. Finely grate the ginger.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add a little oil and sauté the onion for a few minutes. Add the carrot and garlic and cook for another few minutes, stirring, until the vegetables are soft and golden but not overcooked.
3. Add a little water (the vegetables will release some liquid while cooking, so only a small amount is needed), then add the potato and pumpkin pieces and the bay leaf. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally to ensure they cook evenly.
4. Remove the bay leaf and blend the soup until smooth.
5. Stir in the cream and/or milk (for a lighter soup, thin with water), then season with salt, a pinch of ground chilli and the grated ginger. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve with toasted cheese bread and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds or a seed mix if desired.