Pumpkin Soup for Lunch

It was so cold yesterday morning. I have to admit that I went into shock which quickly flared into full blown denial. I refuse to light a fire, even though we have begun to stack the firewood in the Wendy house. It is not really cold because summer is NOT OVER!It is only SEPTEMBER! I am not going to bow to the forces of nature quite yet. So it looks like I will have to sit in my summer study (designed for coolness) and just shiver. Quietly.

Then I thought, why not go out into the wilderness garden and see if there is a pumpkin ready and make pumpkin soup for lunch. Pumpkin soup is not TOO wintry though it is warming to the insides. So that is what I did. There was only a butternut ripe, the pumpkins still have solid green stems (no sign of drying in the stem).  But a butternut will do nicely.

Pumpkin soup is quite divine.

Into a saucepan

• 1 washed, unpeeled and roughly cut butternut, or squash, or pumpkin. My own  preference is actually buttercup.
• 1 big chopped onion
• 1 small chilli (do not cut up we are going to take it out again later as we only want a hint of hotness)
• 1 small,  peeled and chopped tart apple
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 pint or more of chicken stock or vegetable stock

Season with Peppercorns or fresh ground pepper and a little sea salt.

Boil in a good organic stock until all vegetables are soft.

Drain. Retain all the stock. When the pumpkin is a little cooler, pick out the chilli  and discard.  Scoop the flesh out of the butternut chunks with a spoon into a blender, discarding the peppercorns as you go.

Blend pumpkin flesh and apple and onions and chicken stock in batches.  Return to saucepan for reheating.

Adjust seasoning. This soup is very thick and often a gorgeous delicious bright orange.  Add up to a half cup of full cream as you reheat to achieve the consistency you want.   Do not allow to boil after adding the cream. 

Serve with creme freche or sour cream and chopped chives or green onions or whatever takes your fancy. And  a warm crusty bread.

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