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.
c
The Kitchen's Garden 
60 responses to “Pumpkin Soup for Lunch”
Some members of my family used to say that about air conditioning down here in the South in the spring time. It took years, but now they don’t worry about the season, just the temperature. 🙂 Hope you enjoyed your pumpkin soup.
Nancy
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Oh I hate air conditioning but it only gets onto the high 90’s here, only occassionally in the hundreds so i am fine without it.. i just feel like it cuts you off and encourages you to stay inside. They are missing out on the seasons, poor people.. c
Aah, a woman after my own heart – I refuse to accept it when the weather gets cold – I really a summer baby so living in Mauritius spoilt me rotten by not experiencing winter for close to 3 years – THEN we came home in winter 😦 Talk about a shock to the system but I digress…
Your soup looks and sounds fan-tab-u-lous!
Have a fantastic Saturday.
🙂 Mandy
Thank you mandy, mauritius would spoil anyone, not having winter for three years would about ruin me!! but i know you are happy to be back in your own kitchen! c
Your soup sounds wonderful and I love a good squash/pumpkin soup in the Fall. And we are so alike with regards to hanging onto Summer. Much to the amazement of my friends, I’ll insist on wearing shorts and sandals well into November. I will not go gentle into that good night!
Ah the Dylan Thomas/Thomas Dylan challenge.. I am so with you..I wear my summer gear and just add tights and a cardi, then a coat, then a hattie!! ha ha .. we will recognise each other if we ever meet on the street! We will be those summer people who will not grow up and dress for the cold! c
I totally would have caved to the cold and lit up the firewood…but only because I love having a roaring firing going. Perhaps that’s why I like grilling some much. 🙂
Delicious looking recipe as well!
True the old fire is SO good.. but we heat the house with the fire all winter long and so i am MEAN about burning wood when it is only a bit chilly! c
Love the recipe, but it’s not *quite* pumpkin-soup-chilly here yet…we’re just up to creamy-tomato-soup-weather.
exactly right .. you understand! c
We are getting pumpkins in Italy!! Isn’t it weird?? I think your pumpkin soup recipe could not be better. A good soup starts with a good stock, and yours is excellent! The idea of adding creme fraiche is delicious – and those chives are the perfect touch!! Have I gone to soup heaven??…
Thank you ambrosiana .. if there is any left over you can freeze it too for that rainy day in front of the fire! c
Ahh pumpkin soup just reminds me of winter and comfort food. This is why I love winter.. but not better than summer lol. Great recipe
It will be creme freche for me, I love the recipe looks so tasty.
This is a new recipe for me, in our food culture we don’t know this soup with pumpkin! We usually cook this pumpkin as a dessert… You can find in here.
http://almostturkish.blogspot.com/2006/10/turkish-pumpkin-dessert.html
But this new recipe seems it would be so delicious and a new taste. Thank you dear Cecilia, I love to read your blog. With my love, nia
I like the idea of apple in the soup – never tried that before! Sorry the cold has already reached you – come to Africa for the summer, we are finally warming up here 🙂
Soup looks good, you are so lucky to have pumpkins and squash growing in your garden….B
Thank you b, we are lucky to have a big enough garden to be able to grow squash.. lovely to see you.. c
I love squash of any sort, but Dave does not so we seldom eat them 🙂
Ah werll, Tandy, there are plenty of other great veges, I have a friend whose husband hates vegetables! I don’t know why he has not got scurvy! c
The weather is on the turn too here in Andalucia and, like you, I am in denial! This soup looks gorgeous – lovely autumnal colours and tastes. Now we need to start stacking some wood….:)
I know tanya, but the weather now is quite divine, i could do with a few months of this!! c
Wish I had this recipe last year, I might have tried it. We had lots of pumpkins! Only sold one. kids claimed a couple for their own and the rest sat on the front porch.