Spiced Pumpkin & Bourbon Soup

Name: Spiced Pumpkin & Bourbon Soup
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: Servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1kg peeled and deseeded pumpkin or butternut squash flesh, cut into chunks (prepared weight); 21/2 tbsp olive oil; 75g butter; 1 stick celery, diced; 2 leeks, trimmed, washed and roughly chopped; 1 tsp ground ginger; ¼ tsp ground cayenne, plus a tiny bit for serving; Approx. 1.2 litres chicken or vegetable stock (you may need a little more); 6 tbsps bourbon; Double cream for drizzling (or you can use dollops of crème fraîche if you prefer something tangy to go with the sweetness of the pumpkin)

preparation 20 minutes
cook time 30 minutes

This soup is full of autumn flavors and beautiful in color. Serve it this Halloween - it's a great way of using up leftover pumpkin.

Recipe and image courtesy of Waitrose & Partners

Ingredients Method

1kg peeled and deseeded pumpkin or butternut squash flesh, cut into chunks (prepared weight)
21/2 tbsp olive oil
75g butter
1 stick celery, diced
2 leeks, trimmed, washed and roughly chopped
1 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cayenne, plus a tiny bit for serving
Approx. 1.2 litres chicken or vegetable stock (you may need a little more)
6 tbsps bourbon
Double cream for drizzling (or you can use dollops of crème fraîche if you prefer something tangy to go with the sweetness of the pumpkin)

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Put the pumpkin or squash flesh in a roasting tin. Toss it in the oil and season. Place the tin in the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the flesh is completely tender and golden.

Melt the butter in a heavy, wide-bottomed saucepan and add the celery and leeks. Season and sauté over a gentle heat for 3-4 minutes until softening, then add the ginger and cayenne.

Add a couple of tablespoons of water, cover with a lid, turn the heat down really low and sweat the vegetables for about 20 minutes.

They should be soft and floppy. Add the pumpkin. Pour in the stock, season and bring to the boil. Simmer until tender, then allow the soup to cool.

Purée in a blender, in batches if necessary, until smooth. Add more stock if you prefer a thinner soup. Heat the soup and check the seasoning again – it might need adjusting.

Put a tablespoon (or more or less, depending on how you want it) of bourbon into each bowl and top up with the soup. Drizzle on some cream and add a tiny sprinkle of ground cayenne.

Ingredients

1kg peeled and deseeded pumpkin or butternut squash flesh, cut into chunks (prepared weight)

21/2 tbsp olive oil

75g butter

1 stick celery, diced

2 leeks, trimmed, washed and roughly chopped

1 tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground cayenne, plus a tiny bit for serving

Approx. 1.2 litres chicken or vegetable stock (you may need a little more)

6 tbsps bourbon

Double cream for drizzling (or you can use dollops of crème fraîche if you prefer something tangy to go with the sweetness of the pumpkin)

Method

Melt the butter in a heavy, wide-bottomed saucepan and add the celery and leeks. Season and sauté over a gentle heat for 3-4 minutes until softening, then add the ginger and cayenne.

Add a couple of tablespoons of water, cover with a lid, turn the heat down really low and sweat the vegetables for about 20 minutes.

They should be soft and floppy. Add the pumpkin. Pour in the stock, season and bring to the boil. Simmer until tender, then allow the soup to cool.

Purée in a blender, in batches if necessary, until smooth. Add more stock if you prefer a thinner soup. Heat the soup and check the seasoning again – it might need adjusting.

Put a tablespoon (or more or less, depending on how you want it) of bourbon into each bowl and top up with the soup. Drizzle on some cream and add a tiny sprinkle of ground cayenne.