The humble pumpkin soup gets a luxurious makeover with milk and saffron. This velvety smooth soup is a delightful indulgence and is indeed the ultimate food for the soul. This soup is sure to impress your guests when you are putting up a feast.
Ingredients
- Yellow pumpkin – 1/2 kilo, peeled and cut into big chunks
- Onions (large) – 1, peeled and roughly chopped
- Garlic – 2
- Saffron – 1 pinch + 1pinch for garnish
- 2% fat milk (use full cream/ low fat/ skim milk/ cream instead) – 3 cups
- Water/stock – 4 cups
- Dry ginger powder-1/4 tspn
- Nutmeg – ½ tspn
- Red chilli powder-1/4 tspn
- Turmeric powder- 1 pinch
- Butter – ½ tblspn
- Oil – 1 tspn
- Salt – To season
Directions
- Heat butter and oil in a pot, add garlic and onions.
- Sweat the onions and garlic.
- Toss in the pumpkin and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the dry spices (except saffron) and salt.
- Mix well so the veggies are well coated in the spices.
- Pour water or stock and cook till the pumpkin is soft.
- Run a knife or fork through the pumpkin to check if it is cooked.
- Once it is cooked enough to be mashed, turn the stove off and strain the water from the soup.
- Reserve the stock for future use when you make other soups.
- Keep the strained veggies aside.
- In another pot, add the milk and saffron strands, bring it to a boil.
- Add the strained veggies and give it a mix.
- Turn the flame to low and keep stirring for 5 minutes.
- Once done, remove the pot from the stove.
- Using a stick blender, blend into a smooth soup. It is best when it is thick.
- If you like your soup a little dilute, add a little bit of the reserved stock to achieve the desired consistency.
- If you are using a regular blender/ mixie, allow the soup mixture to cool and then blend into a soup in batches.
- Before serving sprinkle a few saffron strands and then serve.
Tips:
- Use leeks in place of onions for more flavour.
- If you can’t get pumpkins, add butternut squash or any other type of yellow squash you can manage.
