Pumpkin and carrot soup

Pumpkin is everywhere now. The malls, supermarkets, the spooky carved pumpkin in our neighborhood. So why not make use of their availability in plenty and include it in our menu in the form of sweet and savory dishes. My lil one considers it to be a halloween whenever I get a pumpkin :) and loves to carry it for me till it is billed and may be till home too if I let him to. My toddler is in for help always...well most of the time. This time I made some soup for the men at home out of pumpkin.

Soup is so comforting during the winter. Esp. if you have been down with cold because of the change in weather. Every sip of it seems to be so soothing for the sore throat.

Jacob loves soup and lil one takes on the same from his father. So even though I am not a big fan of soups, I make it often now. This is one quick recipe to try this winter while the pumpkins are in season now.

Ingredients

1. 1 tbsp of Ghee or butter
2. 1 tbsp of sliced shallots 
3. 2 cups of cubed pumpkin 
4. 1 cup of cubed carrots
5. Black Pepper to taste
6. 1/2 tsp of oregano
7. 1 cup of Water
8. Salt to taste 

Method

• In a pressure cooker, heat the ghee or butter. Add the chopped shallots to it and sauté it for a minute. Now add the pumpkin and carrots. Add salt and give it a stir. 
• Add water to it and pressure cook it. 1 whistle on high heat followed by 2 whistles on medium heat is what took me to get it cooked well. Let the pressure subside. Open the pressure cooker and let it stand open for about 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked pumpkin and carrots to a blender and blend it to a smooth paste. 
• Transfer it back to the pressure cooker or a pan and bring it to a boil. While it boils add required amount of black pepper powder and oregano. Adjust the consistency of the soup as required. Turn off the heat. 
• Serve it hot with a scoop of thick yogurt and some croutons or some garlic bread.

Tips

1. You could cook the pumpkin and carrots in a pan. I have used the pressure cooker for the ease of cooking. 
2. You could use olive oil instead of butter or ghee as a healthier option. 
3. You could choose to add cream to the soup if you wish to. It would make it thick and heavy.