RECIPE / PUMPKIN SOUP
Comforting, rich and earthy
As a young Chef, I had to make 2 – 3 different soups per day for
2 years, which really taught me a love for soups. It is also the
best training for being a saucier later on in my career.
PUMPKIN SOUP
with blue cheese, mascarpone and chives
Whole pumpkin
peeled, deseeded and
chopped into 3cm dice.
1/2 bulb of garlic
1
1
TIPS:
This recipe is a traditional version, for a slower potentially stronger
flavour, roast pumpkin whole in oven for 1 hour.
400g The recipe, and especially the garish, is just a guide. In the past
I have maple roasted the pumpkin first, manuka smoked it, spiced
with curry or cajun.
200g It’s your choice, time and ingredient dependant. This is a basic recipe
which you can adapt.
White wine splash METHOD
On a stove at a medium heat, place a heavy bottomed pot – add the
butter, then the mirepoix, bacon and garlic, cook for 5 minutes.
Chicken stock 1 ltr
peeled and chopped
Mirepoix
medium chopped (refer
to shanks recipe)
Bacon
chopped (optional if
vegetarian)
(optional can use veg stock
or water) boiling
Cream 250ml
Flour 1/4 cup
Bouquet garni (BG) 1
(1 bayleaf, 20g thyme, 2
parsley stalks)
Butter 50g
Salt and Pepper (S&P) To taste
Mascarpone 4 tsp
for garnish
Blue cheese
for garnish
Chopped chives
for garnish (other herbs like
parsley, tarragon, basil work)
50g
10g
Then add pumpkin and continue cooking. Add a pinch of S&P. Once
you begin developing some colour add flour and mix well, cook for
2 minutes.
Deglaze with wine, reduce to nothing then add stock and BG, bring
to the boil.
When boiling, turn. Add the cream and turn off.
If you don’t like chunky, blend with a stick blender or food processor
and pass through a sieve.
For those of you who don’t, blend with a stick blender or processor
and pass through a sieve.
TO SERVE
Heat up what amount you like, pour into heated bowls and garnish
with mascarpone, crumbled blue cheese and chopped chives.
For a stronger blue cheese flavour double the amount and
blend in half.
Comfort in a bowl!
Recipe by Justin Rimmer
4
COMFORT FOOD