pumpkin soup

The cold season is now upon us in Thailand. In this region, the nights can get chilly and the only cure for this is soup. In the past I have been limited to stews or chunky hearty soups. Recently, however, we have a new addition to our meager kitchen (which still consists of one true cooking tool - an induction hot plate cooker). While a toaster oven is the next item on our wish list, we splurged on a really nice blender.

With this wonderful new tool, we can make smoothies, shakes, pesto, and smooth tasty soups!  We discovered pumpkin grows well in this area - well pumpkin like things.  They have the flavor of butternut squash, but look more like pumpkin. So I'm sure this recipe could be used for both. If you can identify this mystery veggie, let us know.

You will notice that I hardly use amounts in my recipes. The reason is because I never actually measure anything when I cook and I'm a believer in experimentation.    If you are making this in Asia, all milk products are strangely sweet, even the heavy cream we used. So, this may turn the savory soup into a sweet side soup. Just sayin'.










Ingredients:

• water
• pumpkin or squash
• basil

• parsley
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 spring onion

• salt
• pepper
• heavy cream
• butter

Cut the pumpkin into cubes and remove the skin. Place into a pot and add enough water to cover.
Bring to a boil.
Add a few leaves of basil and cover until the pumpkin is soft.


In a blender:
Cut the spring onion in half and set aside. (Half will be used for garnish)
add parsley, garlic, onion, and half of the spring onion to a blender.
Transfer the pumpkin to the blender and reserve 1 to 2 cups of broth, set aside.

Blend the contents until smooth and creamy. Pour the soup back into the pan and add the broth. Stir at a low or medium temperature.
Add heavy cream stirring constantly
Add the salt & pepper to taste.

When serving, place a cube of butter in the middle of the soup and garnish with the remainder of spring onion.