Partridge, spinach and pumpkin soup

Try this hearty soup with its partridge topping and lightly roasted pumpkin seeds. It's ideal for lunch and will have you back on your feet in no time after a morning outside in the cold.

40 minutes prep. time
1 hour cooking time
Serves 4
Soups, stews & curries

Pumpkin in the Walled Garden at Nostell Priory, West Yorkshire — Pumpkin gives the soup a velvety texture | © National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra

800g peeled pumpkin
4 partridge crowns
800g spinach
Handful sunflower seeds
100ml olive oil
Small sprig rosemary
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
50g butter
Sprig thyme
Chilli oil
500ml water
10g rosemary
2 chillies
Salt and pepper

Top tip

The pumpkin creates a velvety-textured soup, which goes really well with the crispy skin on the partridge and the crunchy seeds.

Step 1

Peel the pumpkin using a serrated knife, cut into 2cm dice removing the seeds (put these to one side to use later).

Step 2

In a large pan add 20g of the butter and sweat the pumpkin with crushed thyme, garlic and seasoning for 5–10 minutes.

Step 3

As the pumpkin slowly softens, add 500ml water and cover the pan. Simmer for 7–10 minutes, or until soft.

Step 4

Strain the pumpkin, keeping the cooking liquid. Blitz the mixture in a food processor, adding more liquid as required, until it's a soup consistency. Season to taste.

Step 5

Return to the pan with a knob of butter, to add richness and shine to the soup.

Step 6

Prparing the partridge

Remove the wishbone. Pull the skin down to protect the breast whilst cooking.

Step 7

Put a little olive oil in a hot pan with some chopped rosemary and bay leaf and seal the partridge all over. Add a little butter to help the breast become crisp, golden and caramelised.

Step 8

Place in the oven for 6–8 minutes at 160°C (140°C fan/gas mark 3).

Step 9

Spinach

Put the spinach in a pan, add 10g of butter to the spinach and a little water if necessary. Stir briefly over a medium heat.

Step 10

Chilli oil

Chop the chilli roughly and infuse in a pan with the oil and the rosemary for 20 mins, on very low heat.

Step 11

Pumpkin seed garnish

Add a little olive oil to the pumpkin seeds and some rock salt. Place in the oven for one minute or until golden brown.

Step 12

To serve

Remove the partridge breast from the bone. Pour the soup into a pasta bowl, no deeper than 1cm, place the spinach in the middle and partridge crossed over in the centre. Add the pumpkin seeds and a little chilli oil.