Who said having soup is boring? As we are fully in soup period, try out this entertaining soup. You can add as much as you prefer of any ingredient, and every spoon will be different from the previous one. Crunchy, tasty and healthy, not sure you could find a better version.

Since we got back to Italy, we started eating healthier. Or at least are trying. Soup is the best meal you could have when trying to eat healthy and hearty. I truly believe soup is an amazing comfort food, and it’s my go-to every time I feel cold or in a bad mood. And feeling cold happens all the time here in Scotland. Of course, soup as we think of it in Italy doesn’t have much inside, except for veggies, which is definitely not enough when you get back from the gym. So I decided to add some proteins and fat. The best autumn dinner.

“A soup like this is not the work of one man. It is the result of a constantly refined tradition. There are nearly a thousand years of history in this soup.”
Willa Cather

Make your own Pumpkin and Leek Soup

Pumpkin and Leek Soup with Crunchy Chickpeas, Potatoes and Halloumi

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 2 people

Equipment

Electric Immersion blender
pot
frying pan
baking tray

Ingredients

For the Soup

300 gr Pumpkin
1 Leek
250 ml Water
to taste Salt and Pepper

For the Crunchy Chickpeas

1 can Chickpeas 280 gr
1 tbps Olive Oil
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Salt and Pepper

For the Poratoes

2-3 Potatoes (250 gr)
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Salt, Pepper, and Paprika

For the Halloumi

1 pan Halloumi (250 gr)

Instructions

Start from the chickpeas, warm up the oven at 180C, drain the chickpeas and mix the in a bowl with olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper. Line up a baking tray and bake the chickpeas for about 20/25 minutes.
Cut the pumpkin and the leek into chucks. They do not need to be even, as we will blend everything. Put the pumpkin, leek and water in the pot and bring to boil. Let it cook at medium heat for about 15 minutes, until tender. Add Salt and pepper ad blend everything together.
In the meantime, cut the potatoes into small cubes, warm up some olive oil in a frying pan and cook the potatoes until crunchy outside and tender inside, it should take about 15-20 minutes. Add the spices, salt and pepper half way through.
Once the potatoes are cooked, prepare the halloumi. Cut it into squares and cook it in a hot frying pan for 3-4 minutes a side, until browned.
Pour the soup on a bowl and add the chickpeas, potatoes or halloumi as you like. Enjoy with some extra pepper and olive oil on top.