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Saturday, May 16, 2009

Perfect pumpkin soup



One of my earliest memories is of my mother making me pumpkin soup. Thankfully, I always paid close attention as she was doing so, and now I make my own version of this classic dish to take to work for lunch. This meal is quite healthy and filling. Add warm bread roll and you're all set on a cold winters day.

Perfect pumpkin soup:

1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
2 sticks of celery
tablespoon of olive oil or vegetable oil
salt to taste
cracked pepper to taste
spices to taste- I have been using a Moroccan mix lately, cumin, turmeric, paprika, coriander and chilli
vegetable or chicken stock
1.5 kg pumpkin - I also like to use sweet potato or carrots as well for variety
boiling water, about 1.5 litres
natural yoghurt or sour cream

Finely slice onion, celery and garlic and fry gently in oil for about 10-12 minutes, until translucent and soft

Add spices, salt, pepper and chopped pumpkin/ sweet potato and cook for 5 minutes

Add boiling water until the soup mix is only just covered, and then add stock, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 20-30 minutes at a simmer until pumpkin is soft and beginning to break down

Blend mixture with a hand blender or food processor until smooth. Garnish with cracked pepper, yoghurt and coriander

This soup will last up to four days in the fridge, or three months in the freezer. Enjoy!

6 comments:

HannahBanana said...

YUMMO! I love pumpkin soup and love the spices you have chosen to use! Thanks for sharing this, I'll be trying it asap!

Tangled Noodle said...

I do love creamy soups although pumpkin is not one of my favorite flavors. Still, this looks too good to resist!

Lisa said...

I keep forgetting we're opposite seasons: We're in full Spring now whilst you're getting the cold. :)

This sounds so good. Funny is that I picked up sweet potatoes and a cauliflower yesterday to turn into my weekly soup but I think I'll leave out the 'flower and follow this recipe instead for something new. I love, love, love looking at a bowl of orange soup; if it doesn't make you feel happy then there's almost no hope.

Nola said...

Tangled Noodle: You could use potato, sweet potato and carrot would still be quite nice if you don't like pumpkin much.

Lisa: Sweet potato and cauliflower soup? May I have that recipe if you have time to write it up for me? Sounds interesting!

Lisa said...

Hey, Maggie, no problem. It's actually quite similar to yours so I hope you like it. We aren't veggies in my house but I prefer meat-free soups whenever possible because they just taste better to me, so I usually use all water or veggie stock when I make this. In a pinch I use chicken but it tastes a bit fresher the other ways.

Cauliflower Buttersquash

1 small/medium head cauliflower, floretted (I throw in the green bits too, discarding only the tough core)

1.5 lbs buttersquash, peeled and cubed (or same amount of sweet potatoes)
1 cup red lentils
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
1 quart water
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp each salt and pepper

Throw everything into a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and stir occasionally for about 40-45 mins, until everything is tender and the lentils seem to have dissolved. Check for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Blitz with an immersion blender or in a standing blender. Return to pot and keep on low for another 20 minutes or so, adding water if it gets too thick. Serve.

I play with the seasonings a lot, too, just shopping the spice rack for whatever I'm in the mood for: curry powder, chilli powder, etc. Let me know if it turns out for you. :)

Sapuche said...

This sounds great. Pumpkin soup is something I was introduced to not terribly long ago, but it became an instant favorite and I always wonder why it doesn't feature more often on restaurant menus. With your recipe in hand, I no longer need to worry about finding it at restaurants! I guess I should thank your mom, huh? Oh, and that's awesome that it keeps so well frozen -- my freezer is packed with soups!