How to make a Perfectly Creamy Pumpkin Soup

It's soup season baby!!

Whether you're feeding a family or just yourself, you cannot go wrong with a warming bowl of classic pumpkin soup!

As with most soups, you can adapt the recipe to your taste buds, and you can make just enough… or do a double batch and pop the leftovers in the freezer for another cold evening.

If you don't know where to begin, here's a deliciously creamy, hearty soup recipe to get you started… plus some adaptations, which means you can create a soup for any occasion!

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1.2kg of pumpkin, peeled and chopped (any variety will work - we highly recommend our orange or crown pumpkin)
• 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 cup water or milk or coconut milk/ cream (the milk will give the soup a thicker, creamier consistency and richer flavour)
• Salt and pepper to taste

The How-To:

In a large pot, fry onion in butter or oil until golden. Add in the garlic and fry for an extra 2-3 minutes. Toss in the chopped pumpkin, slowly pour in the stock and water/ milk and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the pumpkin is soft enough to be easily pierced with a knife. Remove from heat and carefully blend using a stick blender (watch for splatters!). If it's too thick, add more water or milk until you've achieved your desired consistency. Season as desired and enjoy warm with a hunk of crusty bread!

Variations:

• If you have the time and energy, roasting the pumpkin instead of boiling will result in a tastier soup. Roast the pumpkin until soft, then mix with fried onion and garlic, along with enough stock to get a good creamy consistency. Blend, and violà! Dinner done!
• Curried pumpkin soup: stir in a teaspoon of curry powder when you begin frying the garlic.
• Thai red curry soup: add in 2 tbsp red curry paste when frying the onion. Adding coconut milk or cream to this version, along with fresh coriander, is superb!
• Immunity soup: fry 1 tbsp fresh ginger, 1 tsp turmeric, ½ tsp each of cumin, coriander seeds and smoked paprika with onions and garlic. Perfect for when you're feeling a bit under the weather.