Easy. Homely. Liquid. Gold.

Once upon a time I worked in a cafe. Actually, I've worked in a lot of cafes, restaurants and bars in my time. Flexible hours and free food. Suited me at the time. Anyway, this recipe (reduced from industrial to domestic quantities and tweaked to remove an enormous quantity of cream) is from one of the cafes that I once worked in. If I could remember which one out of the gazillion it was, I'd mention it. Anyway, this soup pretty much stayed on the menu all year round, in amongst an otherwise shifting selection. It's a delicious autumnal soup. An easy and yummy way to use up some of the kilos of excess pumpkin around at this time of year.

PUMPKIN SOUP

1 tablespoon oil or butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large or 2 small tomatoes

1 large garlic clove, partly crushed

6 cups/1.5 L vegetable stock

1 butternut pumpkin (800-900g), seeded and chopped into inch sized pieces.

half a cup/100g red lentils

2 generous teaspoons of honey

1 cup milk or soy milk

2 tablespoons cornflour

salt to taste

Saute onion in oil or butter until soft.

Add chopped tomato, stock and garlic. Bring to the boil.

Add honey, lentils and the pumpkin. Did you know you can leave the skin on? It tastes just like, well, pumpkin. And the seeds can be saved and dried for snacks.

Lower to a simmer and cook for 1 to 1.5 hours.

Puree or mash.

Mix cornflour and milk and add to the soup. Stir until thickened. Do not boil.

Salt to taste.

Makes 6 bowls.