Mellow mists and falling leaves, a seasonal soup to warm your winter

Rain, falling leaves, evenings long and dark. It's time to cosy up, for books and afternoon films, for long socks and slippers, for half finished craft projects neglected whilst chasing the sun. This year even more so as we face a long hard winter locked away from normal life, enduring this very 21st century plague. A new lockdown was announced yesterday and the country feels deflated and worn down, it's hard to not to be sucked down into despair with the endless sense of hopelessness, even more at this dark time of year. 

These times are especially hard for those working in the creative industries, hospitality and tourism and everyone who connects with these sectors, our little household being one of these. Its time to stick together and support the smaller producers, those providing the exceptional quality, handmade artisanal products that don't have the back-up to be able to ride this out. 

I discovered Great Glen Charcuterie at a (sadly online only) Slow Food event, the launch of an evocative film about the making of their exceptional wild venison products. I was intrigued at their history, they are Dutch but have settled in Scotland, setting up a specialist charcuterie using wild venison. Their chorizo is honestly delicious, complex, almost herbal, a taste of the wilds of Scotland as well as being an excellent 'nose to tail' product, ethically produced with no impact on the land. They send a little booklet of recipes with each order, some suggestions of how to use their products in wonderful sounding ideas including a pumpkin soup which inspired my version below. Personally though, the best way to eat their wonderful salami is on its own, perhaps with a glass of red. You won't regret it.

So here is a soup to warm a chilly evening, its humble and seasonal, cheap and filling. You don't have to add the chorizo but you should and as well as enjoying something wonderful you'll also be helping at least one of the tiny producers hard hit by these difficult times.

Pumpkin, leek and lentil soup with cumin oil and wild venison chorizo

Serves 2 with leftovers

1 tsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks, sliced
garlic, 1 clove, finely chopped
generous pink dried chilli flakes
½ small onion squash, butternut squash or pumpkin, approx. 400g, cubed
3 medium potatoes, cubed
200g red lentils

Great Glen Charcuterie wild venison chorizo, 6-7 slices per person

For the cumin oil
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds

Sweat the leeks in the butter and olive oil until soft but not browned (low and slow), add the garlic and chilli and cook for another minute, then add the cubed squash/pumpkin and potatoes turn everyone over a few times with a spoon until nicely mixed. Rinse and drain the lentils and add to the pan with at least 900ml water and simmer until the lentils are cooked, about 15-20 minutes. Season to taste. In a small pan, toast the cumin seeds gently until fragrant then take off the heat and add the olive oil. Leave to infuse. Quickly fry thin slices of the chorizo with a little olive oil (if using normal chorizo you won’t need the oil) until crisp. Serve the soup with a drizzle of the oil and a few slices of chorizo. Lovely with rustic seed bread.

Wrap up and eat it by the fire either indoors or out.