Pumpkin Soup

One of my all-time favourite meals, which always ticks every box for me (cheap, easy, quick & healthy) is soup.  During Winter, I make soup once a week and experiment with lots of flavours - but nothing seems to beat pumpkin.  This recipe probably costs about $5 for four decent serves, so you can't get much cheaper than that!  I often substitute the herbs and spices for whatever's in the garden or pantry at the time.

Ingredients:
3 cups chicken stock (home-made is super tasty!)
1 cup water
1 kg butternut pumpkin, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
3 sticks celery, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup coriander leaves

Method:
In a large saucepan, bring chicken stock and water to a boil.  Add vegetables and spices and bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.

Allow to cool, then puree (my $12 stick blender from Coles does the job!).  Season to taste.  Serve topped with coriander and with crusty bread on the side.