Recipe time! Alan here.
A small pumpkin arrived in our C.S.A. basket last week. It's a cold Autumn day here and what better way to combine the two than to make soup? A buttery chardonnay and a crusty loaf of bread would be lovely accompaniments.
Pumpkin Soup with Wild Mushrooms
Ingredients
1 ounce Dried Porcini Mushrooms
1 T Olive Oil or Unsalted Butter
2 c Onions, roughly chopped
1 c Leeks, White part only, roughly chopped
1 T Garlic, finely chopped
2 lbs Fresh Pumpkin, peeled and diced to make up about 5 cups
1 T Honey
2 t Fresh Sage, finely chopped
1/8 t Ground Cloves
1 t Fresh Lemon Juice
4 c Chicken Stock
¾ c Milk
½ c 35% Whipping Cream
Salt and Pepper, to taste
3 T Dry Sherry
Ingredients
1 ounce Dried Porcini Mushrooms
1 T Olive Oil or Unsalted Butter
2 c Onions, roughly chopped
1 c Leeks, White part only, roughly chopped
1 T Garlic, finely chopped
2 lbs Fresh Pumpkin, peeled and diced to make up about 5 cups
1 T Honey
2 t Fresh Sage, finely chopped
1/8 t Ground Cloves
1 t Fresh Lemon Juice
4 c Chicken Stock
¾ c Milk
½ c 35% Whipping Cream
Salt and Pepper, to taste
3 T Dry Sherry
Method
Pour one cup of warm (not boiling) water over the mushrooms in a bowl. Place a small plate on the mushrooms to ensure that they remain completely submerged. After an hour, remove the mushrooms from the liquid, rinse them and chop them. Strain the liquid through a coffee filter or J Cloth (or just pour the liquid out slowly so that the grit remains at the bottom of the bowl).
Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil or butter. Add the onions, leeks and garlic and cook until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Add the pumpkin, honey, sage, cloves, lemon juice, chicken stock and the mushroom liquid. Bring this to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes (until the pumpkin is soft).
Puree the soup in a blender and return it to the pan. Add the milk & cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring the soup just to a simmer (do not let it boil). Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a little splash of sherry.
A terrific garnish would be a sautéed mixture of sliced mushrooms (use any you have available).
Serves 4-6.
Pour one cup of warm (not boiling) water over the mushrooms in a bowl. Place a small plate on the mushrooms to ensure that they remain completely submerged. After an hour, remove the mushrooms from the liquid, rinse them and chop them. Strain the liquid through a coffee filter or J Cloth (or just pour the liquid out slowly so that the grit remains at the bottom of the bowl).
Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil or butter. Add the onions, leeks and garlic and cook until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Add the pumpkin, honey, sage, cloves, lemon juice, chicken stock and the mushroom liquid. Bring this to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes (until the pumpkin is soft).
Puree the soup in a blender and return it to the pan. Add the milk & cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring the soup just to a simmer (do not let it boil). Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a little splash of sherry.
A terrific garnish would be a sautéed mixture of sliced mushrooms (use any you have available).
Serves 4-6.
3 comments:
I love pumpkin soup! When I had a CSA I used to make so much pumpkin and butternut squash soup! It is such good stuff!
Welcome to The Foodie Blogroll!
mmmmm...sounds heavenly. I think that with the cold front that has just blown in it would be perfect!
Thanks Jenn! I'm happy I could join!
Kim - yup, I'm moving from salads to soups in a big hurry!
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