Cut the top off the pumpkin by angling the point of a sharp knife into it near the top and cutting round in a circle. Ensure you leave a hole large enough to fit a ladle in to serve the soup later.
Using a large spoon scrape out and discard the seeds and the bright orange stringy pulp and discard it.
Using the same spoon scrape out as much of the pumpkin flesh as possible- taking care to not to pierce the pumpkin skin.
Heat the other oil in a heavy bottom saucepan and sweat the onion, carrot and celery until it starts to turn translucent.
Add the pumpkin to the saucepan and sweat for a further minute.
Add enough water to the pan to cover the veg and stir in the stock cube.
Simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
Once cooked blend until smooth using a hand blender- for an extra silky texture pass the soup through a fine sieve.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200C Fan/220C/ Gas 7
Stir the garnish ingredients together and spread evenly over a baking sheet, bake for 5 minutes until crispy
To serve pour the soup back into the pumpkin and garnish with a swirl of maple syrup and the toasty seeds – you could also try adding a dash of cream or a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
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