Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Queensland blue pumpkin is a large approx. 5 kg blue/grey pumpkin with smooth deeply ribbed skin and full flavoured golden orange flesh. The baby blue approx. 2 kg is a miniature version. The pureed flesh is a favourite for soup and scones. Cut as much as you need from the pumpkin, remove seeds and peel. Pumpkin can be boiled, steamed, baked or cooked in the microwave. It can be pureed and made into soup, served in pieces, roasted served as a side dish or mashed. An equal amount pumpkin and potato mashed has a golden colour similar to mashed sweet potato. Pumpkin is also tasty cut into thin strips drizzled with olive oil and grilled to add to salads. This soup has a nice creamy texture with a mild curry flavour.

Ingredients serve 8

1½ kg peeled, deseeded, chopped Queenslander pumpkin

1 finely chopped onion (200g)

2 peeled, chopped potatoes (300g)

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground white pepper

1 tbls mild curry powder

1 liter chicken stock

300 ml fresh cream

Chopped parsley

          

Method

Place pumpkin, onion, potatoes, salt, pepper, curry powder and stock in a covered saucepan, bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer approx. 25 min. Use a stick blender and blend until soup is a nice smooth puree or let the soup cool approx. 10 min and process in a blender. Bring back to boil and stir in the cream. Keep warm until ready then pour into serving bowls and drizzle cream in the middle and sprinkle chopped parsley. Serve with Damper or crusty bread rolls.

Note: If the soup is too spicy adding more cream makes it milder. For a variation add some grated fresh ginger and coriander leaves on top. Substitute with any variety of pumpkin suitable for soup. All pumpkin seeds are edible and highly nutritious. For a snack, dry seeds on paper towel then spread seeds on baking tray. Bake at 190ºC for 20 min or until golden and crunchy. If you prefer salted pumpkin seeds, sprinkle some salt on damp seeds in the tray just before baking. For the spicy pumpkin seeds season them with cayenne pepper, curry or the spice of your choice before baking. Save a few rinsed and dried pumpkin seeds, keep them in the fridge and plant them in spring.

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