In Australia, we don’t call most of the gourds squash, we call then Pumpkin. Â So Butternuts are Pumpkin, not squash. Â They’re the same vegetable, so this works just as well on this side of the world too. Â 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.
IngredientsÂ
- 1 butternut pumpkin, cut into large unpeeled chunks.
- 3 tablespoons butterÂ
- 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
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MethodÂ
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- In batches puree the mixture until smooth. Bring to a slow simmer for about 30 minutes.Â
- Â Serve with yoghurt and chopped chives.
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