Pumpkin Soup

This recipe is South American.  If you don't like it spicy and just want basic pumpkin soup omit the chilli, tomato, cream, mint and coriander.  Replace this with 1 large potato, 1 carrot and flat-leaf parsley.  I add potato and carrot to my basic soup just to give extra flavour.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 long red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 kg butternut pumpkin, peeled and diced

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

5-6 cups chicken or vegetable stock (sometimes I use Massel stock powder)

1/2 cup cream

2 tablespoons freshly chopped coriander 

1 tablespoons freshly chopped mint

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1.    Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Cook onion, garlic and chillies until soft.

2.    Add pumpkin, tomatoes and 5 cups stock.  Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until pumpkin is tender.

3.    Puree soup until smooth.   Return soup to the heat.  Add remaining stock and stir through cream, coriander and mint.  Season with salt and pepper.

4.    Serve soup with grated parmesan cheese. 

Serves 4-6