Photograph Peter CassidyPumpkin and sage are a wonderful combination and make a rich, comforting soup. Instead of fried sage leaves to garnish, you could also try sprinkling over a few toasted pumpkin seeds before serving. This recipe uses vegetable stock, but you could base it on chicken stock, too.
pumpkin soup with honey & sage
75 g unsalted butter
1 small–medium onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 kg pumpkin or butternut squash, deseeded, peeled
and cut into cubes
2 heaped tablespoons clear honey
3 sprigs of fresh sage, plus extra crisp-fried leaves (optional), to serve
750 ml vegetable stock
75 ml double cream
freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
serves 4–6
Gently melt the butter in a large lidded saucepan or flameproof casserole. Add the onion, carrot and garlic, stir, cover and cook over low heat for about 4–5 minutes. Add the cubed pumpkin, honey and sage, stir, replace the lid and continue to cook very gently for about 10 minutes. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil and cook for a further 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly, then remove the sage and strain the soup, retaining the liquid. Put half the cooked vegetables in a food processor with just enough of the reserved cooking liquid to blend into a smooth purée.
Transfer to a clean saucepan and repeat with the remaining vegetables, adding the purée to the first batch. Whizz the remaining liquid in the food processor to pick up the last bits of purée and add that too. Bring the soup slowly to the boil, then stir in the cream without boiling further. Season to taste with lemon juice (about 1 tablespoon), salt (about a teaspoon) and pepper.
Serve with an extra swirl of cream or scatter some crisp-fried sage leaves on top and serve with wholemeal or multigrain bread.
Home-grown Harvest, Ryland Peters & Small, $27.95 / £19.99
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