Pumpkin soup

This is a family recipe that has been passed down, but I'm not sure where my Mum got it from. I remember eating this as a child. Mum would make a big batch of either this or a packet vegetable soup, and it would simmer away on the cooking surface of the indoor logburner Kiwis use for heating. I would dip a mug in periodically and burn my mouth by trying to drink too soon after dipping. For me, this recipe is best with the grey kind of pumpkins we have in New Zealand. They are huge and cheap and plentiful. However, they are not available elsewhere in the world, so I use a butternut squash. A large one breaks down to roughly 1kg of flesh. I experimented with roasting the pumpkin before adding it to the soup, but it didn't make a big enough impact in the flavour for the extra effort. Mum adds 250ml of milk at the end, but I prefer to serve it with a large dollop of crème fraîche (or sour cream if you can get it). This also helps to cool it down so that children can eat it immediately.

Ingredients

  • 2 large white onions, chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tblsp rapeseed oil
  • 25g butter
  • 1kg pumpkin, skinned, deseeded and chopped into 2cm chunks
  • 750ml water
  • 1 chicken stock cube (I use the Knorr jelly ones)
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt

Method

  1. In a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the oil and butter. Once the butter has melted, add the onions and cook gently until starting to colour.

  1. Crush the garlic and add to the onions. Cook for another minute.

  2. Add the pumpkin, water, stock cube, curry powder, nutmeg, sugar and salt. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the pumpkin is cooked through.

  1. Purée with a stick blender.

Serve with crème fraîche or sour cream. It is nice with some cheddar grated on top. You could also scatter some croutons over the surface.

Tags

  • Recipe
  • Soup
  • For the freezer
  • Starter
  • Easy