Pumpkin soup

Press, 30 June 1982, Page 15

Pumpkin soup

Alison Hoist’s

Food 1 .7 Facts L f.

Pumpkin soup seems to be popular with everybody! Its' ingredients are very reasonably priced at this time of year. It is easy to make because the pureed pumpkin is a thick mixture so no white sauce base is needed. The soup has a velvety smooth texture and a wonderful orange colour which will brighten any winter meal.

If you have a blender or food, processor, puree the cooked ingredients in it, for ease, speed, and because the puree will be extra smooth. But if your kitchen equipment is limited, push the vegetables through a sieve with a wooden spoon. It will

take a little longer, but you will still have a very good result'. Precisd measurements are not important for a soup like this, as long as you adjust seasonings just before serving.

You can.thin the soup with milk, chicken stock,, or cream, or a mixture of the three. A little cream is an excellent addition and brings the soup into the luxury class, so add v 2 to 1 cup of cream if you are making the soup for a special occasion. After all. it costs no more than the butter added to many other vegetable soups. For about 8 servings you need: .

1 kg prepared pumpkin 3 cups water 2 teaspoons instant chicken .stock - t 2 teaspoons green herbs stock (or extra chicken stock) .: .• </ . 2 teaspoons sugar Z'< 2 oniohs' sliced s 2 garlic cloves (optional) . . teaspoon grated nutmeg . (optional) .-. u 1-2 cups , milk, ' water, chicken stock or cream, or a mixture of these liquids. Method: Cut pumpkin into 6-8 pieces. Weigh pumpkin after removing seeds. (If pumpkin skin is hard to remove, scoop the flesh away from the skin after cooking.) Place in a large saucepan with the 3 cups of: water, instant stock and other seasonings, the onion and garlic. Cover and simmer until pumpkin is tender (then remove pumpkin skin if necessary). and puree or sieve the vegetables. When pureeing in a blender or food processor, add just enough, liquid to keep the mixture moving. Add remaining liquid after mixture is smooth.

. Dilute the puree with milk and/or water and/or cream to desired consistency, reheat, but do not boil. Add extra seasoning just before serving, if necessary.