Preheat the oven to 400 F / 200 C.

Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Carefully slice the pumpkin into 1 inch (2.5 cm) sliced. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Toss to coat and arrange the slices to that they are not overlapping. Roast until tender – about 20 - 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium pot, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over low heat. Add the onion and allow to very gently and slowly fry until transparent and soft, stirring occasionally (low and slow adds flavour and you have time while the pumpkin roasts). If the onion starts to brown too quickly, take the pot off the heat and wait a bit for the pumpkin to catch up.

When the onion is soft, add the garlic and continue frying until soft and fragrant. Add the ras el hanout and fry for a minute while stirring to release the flavours. Add the stock and raise the heat to medium to bring to a gentle simmer.

If you’ve timed it right, your pumpkin should be roasted by now. Carefully peel off the skin with a fork (I mentioned above that this is optional but makes a prettier soup).

Option 1: transfer the roasted pumpkin, the contents of the pot, the tahini (start with 2 tablespoons of tahini and add more to taste after blending) and a pinch of salt to a blender. Blend until smooth with the lid slightly ajar to allow steam to escape. Taste and adjust the seasonings as necessary or add more stock for a thinner soup.

Serve with your choice of garnishes and/or some crusty bread for dipping.