Pumpkin soup with herb oil
SERVES
6
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
20
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
40
MINUTES
CUISINE
COURSE
Starter
Method
To make the herb oil, mix the oil, chopped herbs, chilli, garlic and lemon zest together and season with salt and pepper. Store in a jar in the fridge for up to a week.
Melt the butter or heat the oil in a saucepan set over a moderate heat. Allow the butter to foam or the oil to get quite hot. Add the pumpkin, onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and coat the vegetables in the fat. Cover with a butter wrapper or a piece of greaseproof paper and the lid of the saucepan. Sweat the vegetables on a very low heat.
After 15 minutes, the vegetables should be starting to collapse at the edges.
Now add the stock, replace the lid and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are completely soft.
Puree the soup in a liquidiser or with a hand-held blender. Taste and correct the seasoning and if the consistency is a little thick, thin it with some creamy milk or more stock.
Serve in hot bowls with a drizzle of herb oil and a scattering of toasted pumpkin seeds on each serving.
This recipe is from Herb Oil from Cook Well, Eat Well by Rory O’Connell
Ingredients
For the herb oil:
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chives, marjoram, sage and rosemary)
1 fresh medium-hot red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed to a paste
zest of ¼ lemon
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
For the soup:
50g butter or 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
450g pumpkin or butternut squash (weight after peeling), peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
225g onions, peeled and sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed to a paste
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1.2l chicken stock
225ml creamy milk (optional)
4 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted on a dry pan until crisp
Method
To make the herb oil, mix the oil, chopped herbs, chilli, garlic and lemon zest together and season with salt and pepper. Store in a jar in the fridge for up to a week.
Melt the butter or heat the oil in a saucepan set over a moderate heat. Allow the butter to foam or the oil to get quite hot. Add the pumpkin, onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and coat the vegetables in the fat. Cover with a butter wrapper or a piece of greaseproof paper and the lid of the saucepan. Sweat the vegetables on a very low heat.
After 15 minutes, the vegetables should be starting to collapse at the edges.
Now add the stock, replace the lid and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are completely soft.
Puree the soup in a liquidiser or with a hand-held blender. Taste and correct the seasoning and if the consistency is a little thick, thin it with some creamy milk or more stock.
Serve in hot bowls with a drizzle of herb oil and a scattering of toasted pumpkin seeds on each serving.
This recipe is from Herb Oil from Cook Well, Eat Well by Rory O’Connell
