Spiced pumpkin soup

Autumn sometimes can make you feel quite melancholic. Days are shorter and the cold and rainy weather doesn’t exactly cheer up the mood. During this season, I like spending my time at home, enjoying the warmth and the coziness of my house together with my family or my friends. This time of the year however offers delicious fruits and vegetables that seem to be meant to bring some ease to the body and to the soul as well. Pumpkin for example is one of my favorites: its fibrous orange flesh can be boiled, steamed, braised, roasted or baked; it can also be used as a base for various desserts. 

Pumpkin soup was my choice today: I decided to add a spicy twist to create an even more delicious and satisfying dish.  As I usually do while cooking, I put some music on: the deep, intense and moving notes of Chet Baker’s trumpet suited well the mood of the day, making the perfect soundtrack. All I needed was then a warm and smooth pumpkin soup with its lovely silky texture and some rosemary croutons to eat it with. 

Here we go with the recipe.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1kg pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and chopped into chunks
• 500g potato, diced
• 600ml vegetable stock
• Thyme, rosemary
• Salt, pepper, chili powder, turmeric
• Butter or cream

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Peel the garlic cloves, cut them lengthwise and remove the core that is the most difficult part to digest. Fry the garlic lightly in the olive oil and then add the pumpkin chunks and the potatoes together with some thyme and rosemary.

To braise the vegetables, cook them for about 5-7 minutes over a medium heat stirring occasionally and then pour some vegetable stock into the pan. Bring it to the boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Carry on cooking for about 20-25 min until the pumpkin is mushy and the potatoes are soft.

Blend until you get a smooth texture, then return the soup to the pan and season it by adding salt, pepper, chili powder and a dusting of turmeric. Stir in some butter or cream at the end to get a velvety and creamy texture.

Serve it hot with some rosemary croutons and, if you want, an extra drizzle of olive oil.