Vegan Pumpkin Soup with White Beans

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add in the chopped onion, pumpkin and cannellini beans, followed by the thyme leaves and ginger.
• Sauté the ingredients for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften, then season with ½ teaspoon (or to taste) of sea salt and a generous pinch of freshly cracked black pepper.
• Pour in the stock, then cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked through.
• Remove the pot from the heat, and take 1 cup (240 ml) of stock out from the pot.
• Transfer the soup into a blender or use an immersion blender to blend all the ingredients until they reach your desired consistency, adding in the reserved stock if necessary.
• Divide the pumpkin soup among four 4 bowls, season with freshly-crackedfreshly cracked pepper if desired, and serve immediately.

For the topping:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium low heat. Add in the shiitake mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring often.
• Add in the pumpkin seeds and cubed bread and cook, stirring often for a further two minutes, or until the bread is nicely charred and the mushrooms are cooked through. Remove from the heat and distribute the topping over the soup.