Pumpkin Soup - with red wine
 

Orright, a disclaimer straight off – the red wine goes in the cook, not the soup.

As I was throwing together our family winter favourite – that makes toes curl in Ugg boots in anticipation, especially during our current mid-winter chill – I recalled a thread from a US visitor hunting for restaurants serving authentic Oz pumpkin soup, and thought I share our family version. Based on no specific amounts or ingredients, just what’s available in the larder (apart of course, from the pumpkin – tonight I used Qld Blue and Butternut, but any pumpkin variety is suitable.)

Open and pour the wine (or tipple of choice) – peeling and cutting pumpkin needs a surge of antioxidants in the knife-wielder ;)

Sip


Basic ingredients:

Onion
Pumpkin
Garlic
Whole black peppercorns
Bay leaves
Salt
A very little squirt of hot chilli sauce
Stock, or consommé or water
Milk or cream

And for us, it must have chickpeas (usually canned – well drained)

To serve: dollop of sour cream
Sprinkled with any herbs – parsley, chives, dill, spring onions

Sourdough bread slowly grilled to crouton consistency, with a smear of pesto or a sprinkle of parmesan during the last minute under the grill.

Sip (whilst I assemble the “Method”)

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, slow-fry roughly chopped onions in a little olive oil whilst attacking the pumpkin.

2. As soon as a section is de-seeded, peeled and rough chopped, throw it in the pan with the onions and stir; sip – and continue until all the pumpkin is softly sizzling in the pan.

3. Add roughly chopped garlic, salt and a quick grind of pepper, stir.

4. Add stock or consommé or water, bay leaves, whole black peppercorns and a smidgen of chilli (if liked), bring to the boil, then simmer covered till tender.

5. We like our soup a little chunky, so I just use a wire whisk to mush the pumpkin to soup consistency.

6. Add the chickpeas, which give a lovely crunch and added protein and turn a first-course dish into a satisfying main meal. Return to simmer.

7. Add little milk or cream to give soup its rich yellow colour and added mellowness.

Plate up, dollop of sour cream, sprinkle of herbs, crunch of sourdough and be prepared to go for seconds – and a later blast of ‘hot air’ to add to the ambience.

Recycle red wine bottle.

Anyone else have a favourite pumpkin soup recipe to share?

Wot?! No ginger.

I think it's probably illegal to make pumpkin soup without fresh ginger!

Guess who just arrived home with pumpkin, carrots & a ham hock?

I'm thinking roasted vegetables, hock in for a few minutes to loosen it up a bit, some paprika, nutmeg .... we'll see. Oh yes, and the vino rosso, of course.

Good idea FurryTiles!

Are you watching Masterchef? Going to Canberra to cook for GG tonight, I think.

There - we're talking about travel.

Love roast veges, Bokhara – will often pop a couple of trays with winter veges in the oven to slow roast and serve with a mustard or horseradish sauce, with no meat in sight!

Don’t watch MasterChef, but quietly amused that the only televised debate prior to our upcoming Federal election between The Ranga and the Mad Monk had to be moved to a different timeslot to avoid competing with the popularity of MasterChef, ;)

Margo, our family is guilty as charged; in our defence, total ignorance of the fact that fresh ginger was such a vital component in pumpkin soup. At the time our family matriarch began evolving this clan favourite though, there was no such animal as <i>fresh</i> ginger, only the finely-powdered variety – snuggled next to the only variety of pasta available – tinned spaghetti in tomato sauce.

As our leader would say, we have certainly ‘moved forward’ on the culinary highway since those days – but some oldtime favourites remain a force to be reckoned with.

So enthused was I about swapping my keyboard for a glass, I should have clarified,FurryTiles ... I often make pumpkin soup from roasted vegetables.

On MChef on Sunday - gawd help us, I'd almost watch McHale's Navy rather than listen to "Moving Forward" & the Mad Monk in full flight.

Should I seek out this famous soup while in Australia. By the way do you guys know what the Thai word is for "pumpkin"?

@ Hanuman, yes, definitely - pumpkin soup is a winter must but the recipe varies widely. Mine is a lot more boring - onions, pumpkin and stock, plenty of black pepper, pureed and garnished with chopped shallot, or toasted pumpkin seeds and sour cream. You could get it at most cafés; sometimes you might find they add a bit of orange juice or zest, or mix it with sweet potato. Yum!

Lavandula