Prep time: 25 min; cooking time: 30 min. Feeds 4-6

700g pumpkin
450g Jerusalem artichokes
1 large onion or 2-3 banana shallots, chopped
40ml extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1.2l chicken or vegetable stock

For the chermoula:

10g sesame seeds
2tsp fennel seeds
2tsp cumin seeds
150g coriander
250g flat-leaf parsley
400ml extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
4tsp paprika
Zest of an orange

Cut the pumpkin into wedges and scrape out the seeds. Cut the skin away from the flesh and chop flesh into small pieces. Scrub the artichokes and cut into 1cm discs. Sweat the onions, pumpkin and artichokes in the oil until soft, but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes before adding the salt, pepper and stock. Simmer for about 15 minutes (until the vegetables are soft), liquidise and push through a sieve if you’re serving it at a party.

To make the chermoula, toast the seeds for a few minutes until the sesame is toasted and the fennel and cumin have released their delicious smells. Grind them up in a spice blender or in a pestle and mortar. Finely chop the herbs and garlic and blend with the remaining ingredients. You should get a thickish dressing, like pesto.

Nutritionist’s verdict

Tuck in . . . for a low-calorie winter warmer

This soup bursts with carotenoid pigments, including beta and alpha carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. While the first two supernutrients are believed to protect your heart and fight cancer, the latter two are thought to help reduce the risk of age-related blindness. Save and roast the pumpkin seeds; they are high in minerals and fibre and contain curcubitacins, which appear to help the health of the male prostate gland. A teaspoon of chermoula adds about 7g of fat, plus vitamin C and iron from the parsley and coriander. About 180 calories a serving. AMANDA URSELL (www.amandaursell.com )

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