Autumn recipe
Pumpkin soup
As part of our Go Organic campaign, renowned restaurateur Raymond Blanc has created a delicious winter recipe.
Pumpkin Soup
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
A very easy soup, which has lots of richness and flavour. The success of this dish depends very much on the variety of the pumpkin. The best I have found is 'Potiron Muscade', which is quite large, relatively flat, with dark brown skin and very pronounced curves. In my opinion, this is the best variety to make the soup. You can replace the pumpkin with butternut squash and should you wish you could serve this soup with a generous serving of crème fraîche. This soup can be prepared one day in advance.
Ingredients
- 400g - Ripe pumpkin flesh, outer skin removed and diced into 2cm cubes
- 200g (1 small) - Onion, chopped finely
- 40g (2 tbsp) - Butter, unsalted
- 8g (8 pinches) - Sea salt
- 1/2g (1 pinch) - White pepper, freshly ground
- 6g (6 pinches) - Sugar, caster
- 600ml - Milk, whole, organic crème fraîche optional
Method
On medium heat, in a 25cm diameter saucepan, soften the onions in the butter for approximately 5 minutes without colouring. Add the diced pumpkin and soften for approximately 6-8 minutes (the softening with the butter will bring out the sweet flavour of the pumpkin). Stir from time to time. Season with salt, pepper and caster sugar.
Add the milk and bring to simmering point and simmer for 10 minutes (*1).
Liquidize the soup until it reaches a smooth velvety consistency. Bring the soup back to the boil and serve in a large soup tureen. A nice helping of crème fraîche would add a touch of je ne sais quoi!
Chefs Note:
*1 If you boil the milk too long it will separate, so cook very gently.
Variations:
A couple of tablespoons of Kirsch (Cherry alcohol) boiled for 2 seconds is a classic addition. Some grilled croutons topped with gruyere cheese would be a delicious accompaniment. Toasted pumpkin seeds can also be added to the dish.
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