In my house, nothing screams Winter more than a good bowl of soup… And because in my soups I only use seasonal ingredients I bring you a Pumpkin and Chestnut soup inspired by Martha Stewart… I saw the recipe and I couldn’t resist this delicious combination…
Origin of pumpkin soup
You know I like to find out the origin of my dishes so I can share it with everyone that actually takes the time to read my posts 🙂 but sometimes there’s not much to say about some dishes. That’s what I thought about this soup… Oh boy, was I wrong! I actually found the “History of pumpkin soup” on eHow!!! Ok, it’s not the history of Pumpkin and Chestnut soup but it’s as close as I could get… Let’s see what they say:
“The history of pumpkin soup begins with the celebration of Haitian Independence in 1804. On Jan. 1, 1804, Haitians worked together to create a unique soup to celebrate their independence from the French Colonists. Until that time, the Colonists believed that the blacks under their rule could never work together to create anything. Today, the traditional pumpkin soup known as “soup joumou,” is made and served to friends and family in Haiti in remembrance of their fight for freedom. While under French Colonial rule, Haitians were limited to eating a bland bread soup. They would not have been permitted to eat such an extravagant meal comprised of pumpkin, beef stock and other vegetables. This unique soup was created as a symbol of unity in the face of adversity. It was served to everyone at the first Independence celebration and Haitians continue this tradition today.”
What a fun fact, I had no idea… For sure I’ll think of Haiti every time I have this soup 🙂
Pumpkin & Chestnut soup
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter
- 8 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
- 6 large potatoes cut into small cubes
- 2 medium onions coarsely chopped
- 4 pounds/1.8kg flesh of pumpkin roasted
- 15 ounces/420g chestnuts cooked and peeled
- 2 slices of streaky bacon fried and cut into small pieces
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Olive oil as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven - 200C
- Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Place the 2 halves, cut facing up, on an oven tray. With a knife, make a few cuts in the flesh. Season with salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Place in the oven for 1 hour or until soft. Let it cool slightly and remove the flesh from the skin. Set aside.
- While the pumpkin is roasting, cook the chestnuts. Heat 1 litre of water in a large sauce pan.
- Make a cut, lenghtways, in each chestnut and add them to the water. Cook it for about 30 mins. Remove from the water and let them cool completely. When cool, remove the skin and cut into pieces. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large pan, over medium-low heat.
- Add the onions and let it cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 mins.
- Add the stock, pumpkin, potatoes and chestnuts. Simmer over medium heat until the vegetables are tender, about 45 mins. Let it cool slightly.
- With a hand blender, process the mixture until smooth. If it's too thick, gradually add more stock.
- Season with salt & pepper. Just before serving, garnish with the bacon and drizzle with a little olive oil.
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