Just near my palace is a farm gate with a big timber crate, out near the road, that is filled to overflowing with new season butternut pumpkins (sometimes called “squash in other parts of the world). These are the longer shaped pumpkins with the pale orange skin and a thinner top with a more rounded bottom. (Lucky them!) Driving by, and seeing this lovely fresh, local produce, my mind always wanders towards ways to use and enjoy them. I was reminded of a delicious soup I sometimes make, that is perfect with a butternut pumpkin. The butternut variety of pumpkin has a lower water content than other varieties like the Kent (sometimes called “J.A.P” - short for Just Another Pumpkin!) or the most common round pumpkin - the Dumpling. Less water in the flesh gives a more intense flavour and makes them wonderful for roasting and baking as they hold together better and are less likely to get “soggy”.

When baking or roasting in your CombiSteam, this is important to be aware of, as you may find that baking some varieties of pumpkin with added Steam will compromise the result. This is because they hold water already in their flesh. To get a tender and golden baked piece of pumpkin you will find it is better to reduce the amount of Steam or not use any at all. For me, this is a great example of a key consideration when CombiSteam cooking. It is always wise to think about how much moisture the food you are cooking already contains and, compare that to how much you want it to have at the end of the cooking process. You may need to “add” more moisture to some dryer food types (think a roast chicken) to help keep them juicy whilst they cook, which is where including the Steam will help. But if you want to “remove” or reduce the amount of moisture in the end result you will be better to reduce the level of Steam. This would mean turning down the Steam level (or in a V-ZUG/Wolf moving to a Humid setting rather than a Steam setting). If you are really trying to create a “dry” outcome you could then consider not using Steam at all and going back to the old fashioned, Fan Forced dry heat.

Now that was a little theory in the post for today that hopefully clarifies or reminds you of the important thinking to do when deciding on your function. But let’s move on to the recipe and the hero ingredient here, our butternut pumpkin or squash. As I said, it does have a lower moisture content than others, and here my end result is a soup (rather than lovely golden brown pieces of roasted pumpkin) so some moisture is going to be ok. But, I do want to get some browning and caramelisation to bring out all that lovely flavour in the soup. So it’s Combination Steam (or Hot Air with Steaming) all the way. We are going to get the temperature up quite high, to compensate a little for the moisture in the pumpkin itself, and to make sure we get that browning before it does get too cooked through and soft. Roasting it in large pieces also helps with that goal, as it means we have more time to get it caramelised before it gets overcooked. Plus it’s also easy on the prep without having to do too much chopping up. Finally, I leave the skin on. Again it’s simpler and more efficient, but it also adds some nutritional value and a touch more texture in the blended soup. A little bit of consideration of the reasons for the recipe method is always helpful when improving your cooking skills. A good recipe should be logical and everything in it should be done for a reason. Now, moving right along…..

Serves 4-6

1 tbs sunflower, rice bran or peanut oil
1 onion (peeled, quartered)
1 leek (halved lengthways and cut into 10c chunks)
1.5-2 kg butternut pumpkin (halved lengthways - seeds removed, optional)
1 tbs minced ginger
1 heaped tsp minced garlic
½ tsp chilli paste or a good pinch of dried chilli flakes (optional)
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ea ground coriander, cumin and smoked paprika
s&p
½ bunch coriander (stalks finely chopped & leaves picked separately)
1 litre vegetable (or chicken) stock
400 ml can coconut milk
1 tbs fish or soy sauce
squeeze of lime juice and some coconut yoghurt to serve (optional)

Method:

1. Combine the turmeric, coriander, cumin and paprika. Lay the halved pumpkin pieces flesh side up, on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle the spice mix over the flesh of the pumpkin. Add the onion and leek pieces to the tray. Season everything well with salt & pepper.

2. Select Combination Steam (Hot Air with Steaming). Set the temperature to 200°C. For variable Steam select Medium or 60%. Cook for 35 minutes or until everything is tender and a bit caramelised.

3. Place a large soup or casserole style pot on the cooktop over medium heat. Add the oil and heat up. Add the coriander stalks (leave the leaves for later) and stir to soften for a minute or two. Add the ginger and garlic and season with some salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the chilli if using and combine.

4. Roughly chop (or smash) the cooked vegetables and add them to the pot, mixing them in with the flavours. Cook for a minute or two, stirring continuously.

5. Pour in the stock and the coconut milk. Allow to simmer very gently for 10 minutes to bring everything together. Turn off the heat and allow to cool completely.*

6. Once cooled, use a blender or a stick mixer to create a smooth soup. You can keep as much or as little texture as you like. (I like it really smooth so I blend it in a few batches and return to the pot.

7. To enjoy, warm through in the pot on the stovetop. Add the fish or soy sauce and taste. Add some more chilli or pepper if you like.

8. Serve topped with some fresh coriander leaves and a dollop of coconut with a squeeze of lime juice if you like.

Remember not to boil it in Step 5 or you will risk it “splitting”. Just keep it on a very gentle bubble. Cooling it completely is also important as it really brings out all the flavours. Feel free to let it sit overnight if you prefer - the longer it all infuses for, the better really.

Just before I take my royal leave from this particular recipe a quick note. Of course, you could make this soup completely “traditional” if you prefer and leave out the Asian flavours. Swap the coriander for some flat leaf parsley, the spices for a bit of nutmeg and the coconut milk for some pouring cream and you will have a lovely Cream of Pumpkin soup that you could serve with a dollop of sour cream very easily. Remember I am only here for a little inspiration. It’s up to you to take it to a place that works in your palace.

If you like the sound of a soup, don’t forget to check out my other soup offerings like Cauliflower & Fennel, Chicken Noodle or Minestrone to name a few. You can also use the “search” feature at the top of the blog page to type in “soup” and find all the previous go to’s for a little further exploration. Soup is a great make ahead and an easy dinner in the cooler months. Add some great bread, some “chips” or even a little platter of veggies alongside and you easily have a meal.

Get this one into your loyal tummies. I know you will come back to it time and time again.

Happy Combi Steaming!

Yours in the kitchen,

The CSQ. x