Ingredients
Vegetables
- 2 kg Kent pumpkin (skin and seeds removed, diced)
- 500 grams vine ripened tomatoes (halved)
- 2 sticks celery (cut into 3-inch pieces)
- 1 brown onion (peeled and quartered)
- 1 head garlic (halved crossways)
- ¼ cup basil leaves (roughly chopped)
Seasoning and Oil
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Cracked black pepper to taste
Stock
- 2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegan option)
Croutons
- 2-3 slices gluten free bread (torn into small pieces)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
To Serve
- Fresh basil leaves
- Olive oil drizzle
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Set your oven to 200 degrees Celsius and grease two large baking dishes with olive oil to prepare for roasting the vegetables.
- Roast vegetables. Divide half of the diced pumpkin, halved tomatoes, celery pieces, and quartered onion between the two baking dishes. Drizzle each with olive oil and season with sea salt and cracked black pepper, tossing to coat evenly. Nestle the halved garlic heads among the vegetables. Place both dishes in the oven and roast for one hour. At the 30-minute mark, swap the positions of the dishes in the oven for even cooking. After one hour, remove the dishes and reduce oven temperature to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Make croutons. While vegetables roast, place torn gluten-free bread pieces into a medium bowl. Add olive oil, dried rosemary, and sea salt flakes, tossing to coat the bread evenly. Spread the bread mixture on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Remove and set aside.
- Simmer vegetables with stock. Remove garlic heads from the roasted vegetables and squeeze the softened garlic out of the skins into a large casserole pot. Transfer the roasted vegetables to the pot, add chopped basil leaves and chicken or vegetable stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.
- Blend and serve. Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth and creamy. Serve hot, garnished with crispy rosemary croutons, fresh basil leaves, and a drizzle of olive oil for extra richness and aroma.
Notes
- This recipe is vegan when using vegetable stock; otherwise, it contains chicken stock.
- For gluten-free guests, ensure bread used for croutons is certified gluten-free.
- You can substitute fresh rosemary for dried if preferred, adjusting quantity to taste.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
- Adjust seasoning before blending to ensure balanced flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 13 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Australian
- Diet: Gluten Free
