I love autumn, it's my favourite walking time where the days are crisper so you can get a really good stomp on and the sun is still shining and the air feels more breathable. Its also the time when I get excited about soup making, as I can pull these two loves together instead of having a walking picnic.
My children are also completely obsessed with Halloween. I do as little as I have to in this regard, as its just such a commercial venture, however I decided for them to learn more about it by looking at Samhain as the origin of Halloween, so they can understand how our Halloween has manifested from this. Then decorate the house with this in mind. So this soup was born from this line of thinking, and it was absolutely delicious. The granola you could have in a bag as a trail munch until you get to your spot where you want to have your soup, if at home then sprinkle it on top of the soup.
We also made a pentacle harvest wreath for Samhain and bought a pumpkin spice reed infuser to get the autumnal smell in our house. This really resonated with me as someone who feels a strong connection with nature. The pentacle symbol has such a rich history dating back to the Stone Age, and is often linked to the five senses, the five elements; and in the Wiccan religion where Samhain is viewed as the New Year, the five-pointed pentacle symbol signifies the five basic elements of life – i.e. water, air, fire, earth, and the spirit. The circle around the star-shaped figure symbolises the universe, which not only contains but also connects them all together. And also in connection to Halloween it was used as protection against evil spirits as Halloween or Samhain is the time when the veil between us and the spirit world is at its thinnest.
So in the spirit of Halloween, here is a Samhain soup recipe that is absolutely delicious and productive after your visit to the pumpkin patch.
1 Pumpkin peeled and chopped with seeds reserved
50g oats
2 tsp Coriander Seeds
1 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1tsp Soy sauce
1tsp Maple syrup
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 Onion, chopped
2 Celery Sticks, chopped
2 Carrots, chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, sliced
1 litre vegetable stock
Spread the pumpkins seeds out on a plate and pat dry. Toast 50g of the pumpkin seeds along with the oats and 1tsp of the coriander seeds for a few minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and the maple syrup. Simmer until sticky then transfer to a plate.
Heat oil and cook the onion, celery, pumpkin and garlic with the remaining spices for 10 minutes. Pour in the stock.Simmer and cook covered for 25 minutes.
Season to taste, then blitz until smooth. Serve with the savoury granola sprinkled on top.
For another soup recipe to take on your autumnal walks - visit this blog post.
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