Cook the Soup

1. In a large pot, sauté onion and leek in olive oil over medium heat until soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes. This builds the flavour base for the soup.
2. Add crushed garlic and stir gently to release its aroma, cooking for 1 minute. This adds depth and a savoury note to your base.
3. Add chopped pumpkin and cauliflower, tossing evenly in the aromatics to coat each piece and help draw out flavour as they cook.
4. Pour in vegetable and chicken stock, stirring gently to combine all ingredients. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to low heat to simmer.
5. Simmer over low heat until the pumpkin and cauliflower are tender and soft throughout — about 25–30 minutes, depending on cut size.
6. Blend the soup until smooth and creamy using a stick blender or regular blender. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.

Portion and Freeze for Meal Prep

1. Place your empty pot or container on a kitchen scale and press tare (reset) to zero. Pour in the soup to weigh the total content only.
   Tip: Note the total weight — you’ll use this to decide your portion sizes.
2. Decide how much soup you want per portion. For example, 300 ml / 1¼ cups suits one person, while 600 ml / 2½ cups suits two.
   If your soup weighs 4500 g / 4.5 kg (about 10 lb), you’ll get around seven 600 ml / 2½ cup portions. Refer to note 1 for portion chart
3. Prepare your freezer bags by placing each inside a glass jar to hold its shape upright. This keeps the bag stable and makes pouring easier.
4. Pour soup carefully into the bag using a wide-mouth funnel if needed. Weigh each filled bag to ensure consistent portions, sealing or setting aside as you go.
5. Seal each bag using a food-safe sealer set to the moist mode. Press “seal,” not “vacuum,” to avoid pulling out liquid. You can also use zip-lock bags or freezer-safe containers.
6. Lay sealed soup bags flat on a tray to freeze overnight until solid. Once frozen, stack them flat or upright to save freezer space and keep everything tidy. Refer to note 2 for vacuuming