Recipe
500g carrots, scrubbed well and cut in half lengthwise, ends trimmed 4 tablespoons good local rapeseed oil or cooking oil 2 medium onions, finely sliced 25g chopped root ginger 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 litre vegetable or chicken stock 1 red chilli, finely sliced 4 small shallots, peeled and finely sliced 50g pumpkin seeds coarsely chopped
Set oven to 190oc. Take a large sheet of parchment paper and place carrots on one side. Drizzle over a tablespoon of the oil and season with salt. Fold over the paper and twist the edges to seal in the carrots. Bake in the oven for about an hour or until soft. Cook the onions, ginger and garlic in another tablespoon of the oil until soft and golden over low heat – about 10 minutes. Add the carrots and stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Blend to a smooth soup and check seasoning. Heat the remaining oil over low heat and add the shallots and chilli. Cook gently until the shallots are golden. Add the pumpkin seeds and cook until they pop. Remove from heat and season with salt. Spoon the soup into bowls or cups and sprinkle over the crispy pumpkin seed mixture.