What’s more comforting in winter than a big bowl of hot pumpkin soup with loads of crusty bread? If you’re a soup lover, you have to try this recipe – it features maple syrup, toasted pepitas and smoked paprika to really bring the wow factor.
Serves 6
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients
2.25kg butternut pumpkin, peeled, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 large brown onion, chopped
3 medium white potatoes, chopped
1 1/2 litres chicken stock
25g butter
3 thick slices crusty white bread, crusts discarded, cut into cubes
Sour cream, toasted pepitas and smoked paprika, to serve
Photography by Guy Bailey.
Method
1 Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Place pumpkin and garlic on tray. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes or until pumpkin is golden and tender.
2 Heat remaining oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add potato. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Squeeze garlic from skins. Add to potato mixture. Cook for 1 minute.
3 Add stock and 2 cups water. Cover. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes or until potato is tender. Stir in pumpkin. Cook for a further 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stand for 10 minutes.
4 Meanwhile, melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook bread, tossing, for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden. Drain on paper towel.
5 Using a stick blender, blend soup until smooth. Serve soup dolloped with sour cream and sprinkled with croutons, pepitas and smoked paprika.
Tools of the Trade
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