pumpkin soup

Spicy Pumpkin Soup Recipe Warming Winter Vegetable Soup with Chili: Try it with Squash, Too! Oct 10, 2008 Joanne E. Brannan
This fabulous winter soup recipe made from pumpkin or winter squash is a wonderful orange color, tastes great, and is good for you. There is something so welcoming about a thick, substantial dish like this spicy pumpkin soup. Served with a little grated cheese and good bread, such as homemade whole meal sourdough bread, this is a meal in itself on a cold day!
How to Deseed, Peel and Cube a Pumpkin or Squash
Preparing a pumpkin can be hard work. Use a sharp knife and sturdy chopping board on a firm surface, and always cut away from your hands. First cut the pumpkin in half, and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. You can peel and eat the seeds, but it is hard work, so you may prefer to simply discard the seeds and stringy center of the pumpkin.
Cut the pumpkin into halves and then quarters. Large pumpkins should be further cut into smaller pieces before peeling. To peel, hold the pumpkin firmly against the chopping board and cut downwards, taking great care as raw pumpkin can be tough and require considerable force.
Once the manageable sized sections of pumpkin are skinned, chop them into cubes.
Ingredients
(serves four)
•1kg deseeded, peeled and cubed pumpkin or winter squash.
•Two small, or one medium sized onion, chopped.
•Two bay leaves, dry or fresh
•Pepper and salt to taste. Unrefined sea salt, such as Sel De Guerande from France, is best.
•Chili, fresh, or dried and powdered, to taste. If using fresh chili, chop finely.
•Two medium sized tomatoes, chopped. Skinning and deseeding your tomatoes improves the texture of your soup, but it is far from essential.
•200ml bouillon or stock. For the best flavor use real bone stock however you will of course prefer a vegetable broth for vegetarian diners.
•Two tablespoons of vegetable oil.
How to Make Spicy Pumpkin Soup
1.Fry the chopped onion over a gentle heat in a good sized saucepan in the vegetable oil, adding the two bay leaves.
2.When the onions are soft and starting to turn a golden color, add the cubed pumpkin or winter squash. Sprinkle over the pepper and salt, and stir while continuing to cook over the gentle heat for a couple of minutes. Add the stock and tomatoes, and stir well. If the mixture is too thick, add cold water.
3.Simmer gently for 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft, add the chili and simmer for a further five minutes.
4.Puree the soup either using a food processor, or using a potato masher. If the mixture is too thick as a little milk or cold water.
Serving Spicy Pumpkin Soup
Served simply with a little grated cheese and homemade sourdough bread this is a comforting dish, ideal for casual vegetarian entertaining. If you would like a slightly richer soup then add a little sour cream, or even better, crème fraiche d’Isigny from France.
Copyright Joanne E. Brannan. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.