Vinegar Salt Roast Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Chickpeas

Difficulty: Easy | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 35 min | Total: 45 min | Serves: 4 | Dietary: Vegan

This is a proper winter bowl: roast pumpkin, crispy chickpeas, and a sharp little hit from Chooki's Vinegar Chicken Salt. The vinegar tang keeps it from tasting flat, and the chickpeas bring the crunch.

Step 1: Roast the Pumpkin

Heat the oven to 210C fan-forced. Toss the pumpkin, onion and garlic with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon Chooki's Vinegar Chicken Salt, then spread them on a lined tray. Toss the chickpeas with the remaining oil and chicken salt on one side of the tray, or use a second tray if yours is crowded. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, shaking the chickpeas once, until the pumpkin is soft and the chickpeas are crisp.

Step 2: Blend the Soup

Squeeze the roasted garlic from its skins. Add the pumpkin, onion, garlic, vegetable stock and coconut cream to a blender, then blend until smooth. Tip it into a saucepan and warm it over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add a splash of water if you want it looser.

Step 3: Finish the Bowls

Ladle the soup into bowls. Swirl over a little extra coconut cream, then scatter on the crispy chickpeas, pumpkin seeds and parsley. Serve with crusty bread if you want the full couch dinner setup.

Tip: Dry the chickpeas properly before roasting. Steam is the enemy of crunch.