Pumpkin and Smoked Paprika Soup with Prawns, Preserved Lemon and Toasted Almonds

Soup: Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the paprika, onion, carrot, garlic and thyme with a good pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally until the vegetables are soft and lightly coloured. Add the pumpkin and stock, season and simmer until all the vegetables are tender. Cool until warm then process in batches until smooth.

Topping: Heat the oil and paprika in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook the prawns until golden and just cooked through. Add the garlic and parsley for the last minute of cooking. Season.

To serve: Remove the flesh from the preserved lemon and slice the skin thinly. If the soup is very thick, add extra hot stock to thin it down. Ladle into warm shallow soup bowls and top each serve with 3-4 prawns. Scatter over the lemon and almonds and spoon over the oil from cooking the prawns.