Soups: Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

The extremely versatile pumpkin is not often eaten in other countries as a soup. History shows it was eaten by Native Americans as long, thin baked strips. Colonists of America utilised this food for pumpkin pie and even made pumpkin beer for their Thanksgiving feasts. I have met quite a few travellers who have never had pumpkin before like this, but easily became addicted which I’m sure you will also.

Ingredients:

 1 medium very ripe pumpkin (peel and remove seeds, cut into small cubes about 1 cm, the more ripe the more flavour)
 1 small onion finely chop
 2 cloves garlic crushed
 2 sticks of celery sliced, keep leaves
 1/4 teaspoon pepper
 Nutmeg to taste
 Salt to taste
 1 cup cream
 1 tab olive oil

Instructions:

 Place cubed pumpkin and sliced celery in a medium sized pot, and add enough water to cover
 Allow to simmer until it becomes soft and starts to break up
 While the pumpkin and celery is simmering, fry onion and garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil until the onion becomes transparent
 Place onion and garlic into pumpkin mix and stir
 Add celery leaves, nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste
 Allow to simmer until a smooth consistency is reached

If the mixture is too thick you can add some more water and for a smoother consistency use a potato masher and mash pumpkin. Leave a cup of fresh cream on the table for everyone to add their own amount. Serve as a starter or for those cold winter nights as a main with a piece of warm, crusty damper. See recipe Damper