Pumpkin Soup

Cold and wet weather calls for some pumpkin soup. This pumpkin grew randomly in our garden. It has sat on my bench waiting for me to be inspired to cook it up. I am trying hard as always to avoid plastic wrapped food. However in this recipe I use cheese. I have been unable to locate a deli that will let me put it into my own containers. This is an ongoing frustration for me. Hopefully I will find somewhere soon that will support my goal of living plastic free. I have decided to add to each blog the waste that was created from each meal to inspire me to do better.

PUMPKIN SOUP  (recipe from Peter Russell-Clarke)

Feeds six adults 

Waste produced (plastic from cheese and cream cheese packaging)

Composted all food peelings

A small whole pumpkin (about 2kg in weight)

One potato

Two cloves of garlic

1/2 capsicum

One brown onion 

One Teaspoon of curry powder

Vegetable or Chicken Stock two cups

One cup of cheese

1/2 block of  cream cheese

METHOD

1. Cut everything up and peel it.

2. Put in a saucepan a big blob of butter

3. When it melts add the onion, garlic, curry powder, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and the capsicum.

4. Cook it until it is tender.

5. Then add the pumpkin, the potato and the stock.

6. If the stock does not sit just below the vegetables as in the photo above add more. If it goes over then tip it out unless you like your soup thin. I like my soup thick and creamy. 

7. Cook slowly until the potato and pumpkin are soft.

8. Add the cheese and stir it through.

9. Cut the cream cheese into bits and add it to the soup and stir it through.

10. Remove from the heat and let the soup cool down so that it is warm but not boiling.

11. Blend your soup in either a blender or with a hand held stick blender or mash it if you don't have an electrical item to do the job for you.

12. Serve it and eat straight away. I cut some green bits and added a dash of cream to make it look pretty. I hope you enjoy your cooking.