Pumpkins – our favourite voluptuous veg! And just perfect for making a huge batch of glorious, velvety soup that warms you from top-to-toe when the nights close in. Packing a healthy punch – it’s loaded with potassium and Vitamin C – cook up a vat of this silky soup for a Halloween party or Bonfire night shindig, or just enjoy it as a gorgeously rustic meal-in-a-bowl.

Raymond Blanc’s Ironbark Pumpkin Soup

Serves: 4

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

You can use any pumpkin you have at home, but Raymond suggests a ‘Potiron Muscade’ type, which is large and flat with dark brown skin. Not got a pumpkin? Replace it with butternut squash if you prefer.

Ingredients

400g ripe pumpkin flesh, outer skin removed and diced 2cm.
1 small onion, chopped finely
2 tbsp butter, unsalted
8 pinches sea salt
1 pinch white pepper, freshly ground
6 pinches sugar, caster
600ml milk, whole, organic

Steps

On a medium heat, in a 25 cm saucepan, soften the onions in the butter for approximately 5 minutes without colouring.

Add the diced pumpkin and soften for approximately 6-8 minutes, stirring from time to time. The softening with the butter will bring out the sweet flavour of the pumpkin.

Add the milk and bring to simmering point and simmer for 10 minutes. If you boil the milk too long, it will separate, so cook very gently.

Liquidize the soup until it reaches a smooth velvety consistency. Season with salt, pepper and caster sugar if needed. Serve in a warm soup tureen with a touch of crème fraîche if desired.

If you would like to make a vegan version of this soup, simply substitute the butter for olive oil and change the milk for a vegan option such as water, almond milk, soya milk or – my personal favourite – oat milk.

Oo la la! … Raymond’s Special Tips

A couple of tablespoons of Kirsch (cherry alcohol) boiled for two seconds is a classic addition to this soup. Some grilled croutons topped with gruyere cheese would be a delicious accompaniment. Toasted pumpkin seeds or hazelnuts can also be added to the dish. Finely chopped chives would add a little colour and texture.

Want to know more about Raymond Blanc’s swanky Brasserie Blanc? See more here.

Raymond Blanc’s Ironbark Pumpkin Soup

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