Category: Australian

Butternut Pumpkin Soup

In Australia, we don’t call most of the gourds squash, we call then Pumpkin.  So Butternuts are Pumpkin, not squash.  They’re the same vegetable, so this works just as well on this side of the world too.  Many recipes say to boil the pumpkin, but that means you have to peel it first (hard) and also that the depth of flavour is not there – to me the boiling makes the flesh more watery than I like.

Ingredients 

  • 1 butternut pumpkin, cut into large unpeeled chunks.
  • 3 tablespoons butter 
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1 carrot chopped
  • 1 stick of celery chopped
  • 2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • chopped chives and sour cream to serve

 

Method 

  1. Preheat oven to 350F . Place the pumpkin cut side up, peel side down on a baking tray and roast for 30-60 minutes.  The pumpkin should be roasted until cooked through
  2. Whilst the pumpkin is roasting, add butter to a large pot and saute the vegetables (seasoned with salt and pepper) until the onion is soft. Add the cumin and garlic, and saute for about a minute, being careful not to brown/burn the garlic.  Add the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer for 5-10 minutes.   Blend until smooth – we used a stick blender directly into the pot.
  3. Scoop the pumpkin out of the skin, and  Add the pumpkin to the pot, peel the garlic and then add to the pot. Remove the pot from the heat.
  4. In batches puree the mixture until smooth.  Bring to a slow simmer for about 30 minutes. 
  5.  Serve with yoghurt and chopped chives.

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